To The Bone
by Miss Raye
Summary: It's been years since Jake was born and Jason stayed away to protect himself as well as Elizabeth and the boys... now he's called back to Port Charles because a young man wants into the business... Cameron.
1. Chapter 1

Parker knocked on the boss' door and waited for the order.

"Come in."

The guard stepped inside and nodded toward the door. "Got a kid here to see you, Boss."

"Bring him in." Sonny set his pen down and looked up as the young man walked in the room. Tall, good posture, and despite the worn jeans and leather jacket he had a way of looking at you that said he saw all way down to the bone. "You wanted to see me?"

"I wanted to see you about a job."

Sonny leaned back in his chair and swiveled back and forth a little taking the young man's measure. "I have all the workers I need in the coffee shop."

The boy shook his head. "Not my style."

"The warehouse might have an opening."

Again, a shake of his dark rumpled hair. "Nope..."

Sonny sat up and propped his elbows on the table. "Then why are you here?"

The boy moved forward and so did Parker, but Sonny put up a hand and waved off the guard.

Setting his hands on the edge of the desk, he leaned toward Sonny and smiled. "I want in 'the business.'"

Sonny's laughter only served to sharpen the young man's gaze. "I'm sorry, do we..." he shook his head, "I almost feel like I should know you."

The boy shrugged. "Maybe, but what matters is that I know you and I want in to the business." Pressing his advantage, he continued. "I know what it's like, I've done my research, and my father... he was in it too."

"Your father?" Sonny leaned back in his chair, his eyes raking over the boy trying to place any of his facial features with known mob men, but he couldn't quite do it.

"Who is he?"

"His name was..." straightening up, the young man shrugged his shoulders to settle his coat on his back, "Zander Smith."

"But-"

"You're probably more familiar with my mother. I'm Cameron Drake."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Drake House**

Elizabeth turned from the stove and waved at one of the cupboards. "Can someone reach the sauce pan for me?"

The two sitting at the table looked at each other before lifting their hands to play rock paper scissors.

Patrick shook his head at both of the teens and reached up to the cupboard. "Never mind about those two, I shall rescue the saucepan from the cupboard and deliver it to you."

"Rescue?" Elizabeth laughed. "Was it being held hostage?"

Setting the pan down on the counter beside her cutting board Patrick shrugged. "We live in Port Charles, someone is always being held hostage or having the wrong person's baby or some other silly thing." He reached over and picked up a piece of green pepper and popped it in his mouth.

"Careful," she elbowed him away, "I might accidentally cut off one of your fine surgeon's fingers and then where would we be?"

Emma looked up over her AP Biology book at her parents and laughed. "Then Jake and I would fight over who gets to sew it back on."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "What about me? Don't I get to help sew it back on?"

Jake leaned back in his chair and grinned. "You'd assist, Mom."

Patrick slung an arm around his wife. "Ever the surgical nurse. Sorry, honey."

Brandishing her cutting knife didn't make much of an impression while her shoulders were shaking with laughter. "Just go get washed up, Patrick." She turned to the two giggling teens. "You two finish your home work if you want any brownies."

"Oh, blackmail..." Jake picked up his pencil, "fine, I'll cave."

**Corinthos Offices**

Sonny stood and walked around his desk, his eyes taking new measure of the young man standing before him. "I'm sure your mother's waiting for you at home, Cameron."

The young man shrugged. "I'll get there when I get there."

"And I don't think your mother would approve of you asking me for a job."

Cameron's mouth twisted up in a smile. "I didn't think Sonny Corinthos would worry about what a nurse thought?"

"Don't sass me, Cameron." Sonny tone was cold and Cameron understood it well. He understood power and Sonny had it. "I respect your mother and I don't take on trouble."

"I won't give you trouble, but I can certainly make some if that's what you want."

Sonny thought through Cameron's words. "What if I tell you no?"

"No?" Cameron's confidence cracked the littlest bit before he covered and met Sonny's eyes with dark intensity. "There are other bosses... other families. I want in, Mr. Corinthos, and if you don't want to hire me I have other options."

Sonny folded his arms over his chest and looked at him from head to toe. "Come back and see me tomorrow night. After we close the coffee shop."

Cameron nodded and smiled. "I'll be here."

He strode out of the room having grown another inch or two in anticipation.

Sonny waved at Parker to close the door and picked up the desk phone. Pushing speed-dial #1 he waited a moment until the other end picked up. "You need to get on the jet and come back to Port Charles, now." He hung up and sat down heavily in his chair.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth took the pasta out of the microwave and set the dish on the table, throwing a curious look over at her son. "Just eat something, okay?"

Obediently, Cameron took a plate and fork out of the drawer and sat down at the table.

Moving toward the fridge she opened the door. "What do you want to drink? Water? Iced Tea?"

Cameron's smile was just a little wicked. "How about a beer, Mom?"

"How about I ground you for a month?"

Spearing a piece of the pasta on his fork he raised a questioning brow at her. "I'm nineteen, Mom, and nearly a head taller than you, you'd have just as much luck trying to spank me."

Picking up a wooden spoon from the drying rack she held it above her head. "I'm more than happy to try, Cam."

He held her off with an impish grin. "How about a kiss and you go to sleep. I'll finish up in here and clean up the dishes."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth set down the spoon and crossed to the table to press a loud kiss on his temple. "Muah! Night, Sweetie."

"Night, mom."

* * *

Jason tried to find a comfortable position in the chair and failed. He hadn't heard from Sonny in months and rarely, over the years, did he sound worried. Lifting up his arm he checked his watch and reset it to Port Charles time.

If there was only a way to make the plane fly faster. Jason shifted in his chair and stared out at the seemingly endless dark of night outside his window.

Port Charles. The last place he should be.

* * *

Elizabeth set her toothbrush down in the holder beside the sink and turned off the light. From the semi-darkness of the bedroom she heard the rumble of sound.

"Cam got in safe?"

"Safe from me. He drove up just before curfew... JUST BEFORE." Reaching for the ties of her robe, Elizabeth undid the bow and dropped the garment on the chair beside her bed.

Patrick's chuckle was almost as warm as the hand he reached out to her. "And you fed him." He rolled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "He could have warmed up dinner on his own, you know. He's almost old enough to drink."

Elizabeth gave his arm a swat. "That's what he said... sheesh, the two of you are ganging up on me aren't you?"

"Yes, we are planning a hostile take-over of the Drake-Webber consortium. We'll have you baking brownies for the rest of your life just to keep us happy and... fat."

"Patrick?"

"Yes, Liz?"

"Go to sleep before I knock you unconscious."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

(About an hour before dawn...)

Jason stepped out of the plane and took in a breath of the air and felt a little bit of dread seep in as well. Thomas Folsom was waiting by the SUV, his arms and legs crossed as he leaned against the bullet-proof siding. "Took you long enough, Jason." He straightened and opened the door for the enforcer. "Sonny said to bring you by the Greystone for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

Thomas shrugged. "Maybe you've been gone too long, Jason... you know he won't take no for an answer."

Jason climbed into the car in the driver's seat and took the keys from Thomas. "Maybe you've been watching too many mob movies. Get in or walk."

Getting into the passenger seat, Thomas didn't bother with his seat belt and watched the passing city out the window. "How long has it been?"

Jason ignored the question for a few blocks. "Not long enough."

"Seriously," the guard pressed, "some of the new guys might not even know what you look like." The words were false for the most part. Jason Morgan was known... almost too much around the guards in Port Charles. "We're on double for each shift now that you're back in town."

"Anything from Lorenzo yet?"

Swallowing, Thomas shook his head. "His whole organization went silent a few hours ago."

"Have someone check the phone lines for a tap."

"Already done. Nothing."

"Then..." Jason stopped himself, he'd share his thoughts with Sonny later. Thomas was a man he'd worked with before... but as it would be with 90% of Sonny's organization, he didn't know them well... enough. "They know I'm here."

"Probably."

"Great." Jason sighed and made a turn onto the road toward Sonny's house. "Just great."


	4. Chapter 4

**Greystone**

Sonny asked question after question and Jason subjected to the interview as he always did. Although, as their meeting went on his answers became shorter and shorter.

When Sonny reached for the carafe of orange juice to pour another glass Jason asked his own question. "We could have done this over the phone. Why did you want me here?"

Sonny filled his glass and took a sip.

Jason shifted forward in his seat. "Why did you want me in Port Charles? You know how dangerous it is."

"I thought you'd want to know. Someone came to me yesterday looking for a job."

Narrowing his gaze at his old friend, Jason waited for the punch line. "And that's my problem how?" Pushing himself out of his seat he headed for the door. "Since when have you needed me to pick people for the business? You know how to get a hold of me and-"

"Cameron came by looking for job."

Jason froze for a moment before turning back to Sonny. "Cameron? Elizabeth's son?"

Sonny's eyebrow arched up. "He mentioned Zander first."

That gnawing pit in his middle that had opened up at the sound of Cameron's name bottomed out into his boots. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him to come back tonight after we close the shop."

"You should have turned him down right then and there." Jason's voice was low and controlled, but his eyes were dark with warning. "The kid thinks you're considering it."

Sonny shrugged. "Maybe I am... we need good men." He took another sip of orange juice. "Thought you could come back, make sure the only thing of his father in him is his attitude."

Jason pushed a hand through his hair and glared at his friend. "This is a mistake, Sonny. You should be turning him down not sending me out to talk to him."

Setting the glass on the table, Sonny shook his head. "He said if he didn't work for me he'd go somewhere else."

Memories of Zander flooded back in his mind and he groaned. "I've got to talk to him."

Sonny nodded. "Sure, it's a good idea." Jason swung the door open and stopped only when he heard Sonny's voice. "He's all grown up, Jason. You might not recognize him."

**The Drake House**

Last one down to the breakfast table, Cameron pulled out a chair and snaked a piece of bacon off of Jake's plate.

"Hey!" Jake gave his brother an elbow in the side. "Why don't you ever steal from Emma?"

"Cause Emma's the cute one!" Cameron took another piece from Jake's plate before Emma handed him one of her pieces.

"You boys can both relax. There's more where it came from." Patrick grabbed a platter from the counter and walked it over to the table, setting it down next to Emma. "But she gets to decide who gets the pieces."

"No way," Jake protested, "nepotism in the Drake household!"

Elizabeth stepped into the room and dropped her purse on the counter before opening the fridge for some juice. "What's the problem, folks?"

Emma shook her head. "Dad's putting me in between Jake and Cam... it's not fair."

Giving her husband a punch in the arm she glared at him. "Not fair!"

"Hey!" Patrick rubbed at the injury. "That's my surgery arm."

Jake picked up a biscuit and tossed it to Patrick who intercepted it with his hand. "Come on, Dad, they're 'both' your surgery arms."

Taking a bite of the biscuit he growled at the younger boy. "Smart alec."

Elizabeth waded into the middle of the melee. "I have to get to the hospital early to go through some charts. Anyone need a ride? Jake, Emma? I'm headed past PC High."

Jake picked up his backpack and Emma's too an headed for the door. "Come on, Em."

Cameron gave his sister a wink and reached for the plate of bacon... and came up empty.

Emma was already at the door with the platter in her hands. "Bye, Cam."

Patrick gave his elder son a smile as he shrugged. "You have to be faster if you want the prize, Cam." He snaked out an arm and caught Elizabeth in a quick hug. "I'll see you at GH in a little bit. After I clean up breakfast."

Turning in his arm she gave him a quick kiss, which became another and another.

A car honked outside and Elizabeth gave Patrick a playful shove. "Later."

She ruffled Cam's hair as she walked by. "See you later, son."

He tried to talk around the bacon in his mouth. "Bye."

**Outside the Drake House**

Jason leaned against a tree a few houses down and watched as Elizabeth backed her car out of the driveway and head down Oak Avenue. The two teens in the back seat looked like any other happy family. The girl was braiding her hair as the car cruised by and the blond boy sitting behind his mother was tapping his fingers in time to music Jason couldn't hear through closed windows.

Jake opened his mouth to sing and Elizabeth joined in while Emma covered her ears.

The homey picture driving past Jason did nothing to ease his worry. The idea that after all these years something of his world was going to interfere with her happiness... with Jake's happiness.

Jason wasn't going to allow that to happen.

He waited another 20 minutes to see Patrick back out of the garage in his Mercedes and follow down the street toward town, sitting beside him in the car was a dark haired young man who watched the world outside his window with keen interest. Jason stepped all the way behind the tree and listened to the well-tuned engine disappear into the distance.

Opening his phone he dialed a number. "Freeman? Yeah, it's Jason. I need you to get me as much information on Cameron Webber... I mean, Cameron Drake, as you can. I need to know where he spends his time." He listened for a moment. "Yeah, call me back as soon as you have something."

Walking down a side street he dropped the phone into his pocket before he stepped up on his motorcycle. He would track Cam down as soon as Freeman got him the information, but now... for now, he was headed to General Hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth went from room to room and checked on all of her patients during her first round at work and everything seemed to be going alright, but as she stood at the hub going through all the charts from the shift before she felt an odd sensation.

Someone was watching her.

No, it wasn't that ticklish prickle of feeling when Patrick was about to play a joke on her... or that heavy feeling when Epiphany was staring at her trying to get the reaction she wanted... no, this was different... a warmth stealing along her skin, like fingers sliding along her arm... across the back of her neck... down her side to her waist-

Startled, Elizabeth looked around the room, making one full turn from her perch at the hub before pressing her hand to her face and giving voice to the nervous laughter building up inside.

"Liz? You okay?"

She turned to Steven and smiled, the warmth of a blush still high on her cheeks. "Yes... no... I don't know."

Brotherly love or doctorly concern, it all added up to Steven setting his clipboard down and checking her vitals. "You're flushed, sis. And your skin is a little clammy. I want you to go lie down on one of the cots in the on-call room."

His words barely registered as he led her down the hallway. 'Clammy' yeah... right... her insides burned all the way down to her core and there was nothing to explain it.

She hadn't felt this way in years...

She hadn't felt this way since...

* * *

Jason ducked back into the shadows and had to work hard to get a decent breath in his lungs. He'd meant to come to the hospital and talk to her... meant to pull her aside and ask her about Cameron... about Jake... and most importantly how she was doing.

Reports from the men about her life were short, succinct, to the point about the bare essentials. She was working at GH. She had married Patrick. He had adopted the boys and she Emma. He knew when the kids moved from Elementary, to Middle to High Schools and had surveillance photos of Cam's graduation from PC High. But he had no idea what she was like until now.

The way she moved hadn't changed, the brightness of her smile still lit the world around her and floored him, and when she tucked a stray curl behind her ear it had taken everything he had in him not to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.

Control, at least for him, was going to be a problem.

* * *

Somewhere at the outskirts of Port Charles

Setting aside new surveillance photos of Lila Rae, Lorenzo waited for his man to give him the news.

"We haven't 'seen' him, Mr. Alcazar. We know the jet landed and that Cortinthos has doubled up all of his guards and protection details."

"Like that will make a difference to us?" Lorenzo tapped his fingers on the desk. "We've been waiting for him to come back, and now that he's here we're going to put him six-feet under... just like he tried to do to me."

The security man nodded. "We almost had him that one time, but he-"

Lorenzo silenced him with a look. "That was years ago and we lost half a dozen men in that attempt. I do NOT like to be reminded of past failures... unless," he gave the man a wolfish grin, "you want to face my wrath again?"

"No... no, sir," he made a speedy exit from the room remembering the pounding he'd received as one of the survivors of the attack on Jason Morgan. Since then Lorenzo had put a price on Jason's head. Ten million dollars was a nice tidy sum... if one man was suicidal... but now with him back in Port Charles, everyone's fingers were itching to pull the trigger on him... hell, maybe even some of Sonny's own men might want to make a profit.

Who knew?

* * *

At Port Charles University

Cam finished his last class and left the lab building with a rush of energy. He had a few hours before his meeting with Sonny Corinthos and he was starving. Stashing some of his books in his locker he started walking toward Kelly's remembering there was special he liked and it wasn't that far.

He just missed the light at Craig and stood at the corner, hands in his pockets, head nodding to a song in his head when the crosswalk signal gave him the right of way. He stepped off the curb only to hop back up onto the sidewalk as a black SUV nearly ran over his feet.

"Hey!" Cam waved at the driver's window. "What the-"

The passenger door closest to him opened.

"Get in."

Cam took a step back, his instinctual need for flight rose up with his soul. "Hey, look... I'm sorry, I forgot I need to go somewhere and-"

"Get in, Cameron."

Stepping to the side to look into the car Cameron came face to face with Jason Morgan.

The enforcer's steely gaze nailed him to the spot.

"Get in." The man in the front passenger seat pulled his jacket back to reveal the 9mm in his shoulder holster.

Cam nodded and stepped up inside the SUV. They were gone moments later.


	6. Chapter 6

Cameron tried to ignore that Jason Morgan's eyes were about to bore a hole through his skull, he looked around the SUV's interior, taking note of the leather seats and the spot on air conditioner that even in the heat of summer somehow kept the interior of a huge car perfectly cool.

"So," Cameron flashed Jason a smile, "is this where you drive me out to an abandoned dock at the harbor and tie weights to my feet? Or maybe you'll take me out to the cliff road and throw me into the surf?"

Jason fought the sudden memory of the Cliff Road that popped into his head. Eilzabeth, her arms wrapped around his middle, her joyful yell tangling with the winds as they rode like lightning around the curves.

Instead, he looked at the young man in front of him and fought down the urge to knock him unconscious and lock him away in a safe house until he came to his senses.

"Why are you trying to ruin your life?"

The question seemed to startle Cameron, he could see the confusion in his eyes when he looked up. "I'm looking for a job. That's all this is."

"Then get a job." Jason's tone was sharp, cold. "A job that won't get you killed."

Cameron shrugged. "You look pretty alive. Even scary one and two up front seem to be living on Oxygen... OR is that the secret of Corinthos' family... zombie mob enforcers."

Jason's fist clenched and he tried to avoid putting his fist through a window. He had to repeat silently to himself... bullet-proof=painful. Oh, he'd broken one before... and a few of his bones along with it.

Cameron quieted, mumbling under his breath. "No sense of humor, check."

"I'm talking about a job that won't get you thrown in jail or yeah, into the harbor. Why are you doing this?"

Turning halfway in his seat he gave Jason the first serious look since he'd gotten in the car. "I have bills to pay, Mr. Morgan. Even PCU has tuition loans that need paying and I'm not going to be one of those people that expect someone else to foot the bill. I'm over 18. I'm an adult. I'm a man. I'm going to prove it."

"What about your-"

"My mother?" My mother is a nurse... sure she's one step below Epiphany in rank, but she's got her own life to worry about.. retirement someday so she doesn't work herself to the bone and into the grave. She's got Jake and Emma to take care of and-"

"I meant Patrick. He's a surgeon... or Lucky, he's-"

"A low-life." Cameron laughed. "I can't believe you'd throw Lucky at me... really? I can't remember the last time he called or stopped by after Jake's accident. He spent all of his time back then with that woman, Sam... if he could remember when our birthday's were, he'd send us a card from where ever they were." Cam grumbled again. "One seedy joint after another for years."

He stopped for a minute and then when he realized how quiet the interior of the car was he started up again, but his voice was softer, almost child-like. "Patrick is another story. Patrick, it'll kill him if I work with you, he always hoped I'd be a doctor like Jake and Emma want to, but I'm not them... I don't have the brains for it. I don't have the talent. And when he came into our lives, after his wife died..."

Jason felt the reminder of Robin's death deep in his soul as if it was yesterday.

"...he treated us like we were his. He footed the bill for so many things that I sometimes thought he was crazy. After all, he brought one kid into the family... and Mom brought two, but it never seemed to matter. So, no.. I'm not asking Patrick Drake to pay for my life anymore... he gave me years of his love and his name. What more can I ask for?"

Cameron looked out the window and Jason had a moment to really look at the boy. He was thinner than Zander had been, but if he was any judge of body type the boy was more muscled , lighter... flexible... and there, in the sharp pain he'd seen in Cameron's eyes was the part of Elizabeth in him... the part that Jason wanted to protect and would protect with his life if he needed to.

Because, even though Patrick Drake had given Cam his name, Cam had Jason's heart since he'd been a baby. Since the day he'd felt the strong kick under his hand in the courthouse and he'd seen Elizabeth's face light up like that Godforsaken little christmas tree years ago.

"Look," Jason tried to ignore the rough scratch of his voice and find the words to smooth this over, "I'll pay for it." He held up his hand to stop Cameron from arguing. "I'll pay for your college and an apartment when you're done and when it's time to find a job I'll get you something that pays well, in a legitimate company. You'll never want for-"

"Let me out!" Cameron jerked on the door handle and found it locked tight. "Of course you'd have a way to keep someone hostage." He turned and roared at Jason, his words fairly spitting from his lips. "Let me out of this car!"

The anger roiling through the boy was enough to break the handle given time, but that wasn't Jason's main concern. "We're not anywhere near your home and-"

"The f*ck I care! Let me out of here... " he turned his icy glare at the man he thought he'd known once, "I can take care of my own damn self."

Jason saw the anger and knew that he'd gone too far and made everything worse. Nodding, he had the driver stop and let Cam out at a corner. The young man didn't look back when she hopped out of the car. He turned his back deliberately on Jason. "Tell Mr. Corinthos I'll be at the meeting." Then he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Elizabeth felt out of sorts the rest of her shift. Her feelings didn't hurt her patients at all, her genes and her conscience took care of that... but it was every moment alone... the odd gap in people at the corner of a hallway... or the few minutes break she managed to squeeze in for herself. That's when she felt it.

The emptiness.

She'd heard amputees talk about a similar feeling, the 'ghost limb.' Hands or arms that are missing and yet still tingle with feeling... or ache.

Elizabeth wondered if it was possible when you lost someone you loved. Loved all the way down to the core of who you are. A missing piece of your heart that was only carved out because you let it happen... or because someone else ripped it out of your chest... no anesthesia or pain-killers provided.

Hands settled over her eyes and the world went dark.

Jason sat in the SUV and waited. Waiting had always been his specialty, but he'd never really enjoyed it. Thomas opened the driver's door and slid in before reaching his arm back to Jason. "Chili special. Fries and Burger. The works... just the way you like it."

He looked toward the windows. "Anyone recognize the order?"

Shrugging, Thomas opened his own package. "No one said a thing... it's been yea- a few years since you've been back, Jason. Folks forget things."

A moment later, Thomas was devouring his tuna sandwich and turning up the radio. Jason was still watching the windows, peering past the curtains at the interior. It looked pretty much the same as it always had. Pretty much.

But still, the waitresses were all new, the customers... none of their faces looked familiar at all.

"Hey, Mom, guess who?"

"Great idea, stupid, now she knows!"

Elizabeth grabbed at the hands and pulled them down to her mouth to kiss them one after another. Turning on her stool she wrapped both of them in her arms. Emma leaned into her embrace, but Elizabeth was careful to balance Jake on his feet without making it obvious. "You got here on the bus allright?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Duh, Mom! We're here!"

"I know... I know..." she blushed, "I just... I just..."

Emma's giggle was infectious. "You just worry... and we love you for it." A quick look at the call board was all Emma needed. "Dad's still in surgery?"

Elizabeth nodded. "A tough one... there was a bleeder that he hadn't expected."

Jake's gaze was steady as he leaned back against the counter. "I bet he wished you were in there with him."

She blushed. "Well, I'm sure he'll say something like that, but he knew this one was going to be long and he didn't want both of us falling asleep at the wheel on the way home."

Jake and Emma exchanged smiles. "You could let US drive you guys home."

"Sweetie," Elizabeth stood and reached for a chart, "while your father would be happy to have you drive us home-"

"He'd be stomping on the invisible brake the whole way." Emma pushed Jake's shoulder and although her daughter had done the same thing thousands of times before, Elizabeth still held her breath until Jake playfully pushed her back.

"Why don't you two go to the staff lounge and get your homework done."

Jake shrugged. "Why not, if we get stuck on a Bio question we can just ask anyone coming in through the door."

Both teens gave Elizabeth a kiss before they disappeared down the hall.

"I still can't get over seeing them looking so-"

"Adorable?" Elizabeth grinned at her friend.

Epiphany shook her head. "Grown up... I still remember both of them when they were born... and then later when Jake-"

Elizabeth's indrawn breath and the pallor of her skin spoke volumes. She remembered the moment too.

"Was in that hit-and-run, we all remember him from his weeks in Peds." Epiphany moved to her side and gave her fellow nurse a cheerful smile. "He's a strong young man, Elizabeth," she put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, "and most of that strength comes from you."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth, clutched the clipboard to her chest. "He's got good genes... the rest of it was just me over-protecting him over the years."

Epiphany walked back toward her station at the hub. "You know that's not it, Elizabeth... it's all the love that boy has had... from both you and Patrick. It shows."

Cameron stepped into the coffee shop and lifted his face up to catch some of the air-conditioning from the vent. He'd been walking around for the last few hours. At first, from frustration alone... and then he didn't want to miss his meeting with Sonny Corinthos. Just because Jason Morgan was going to be an ass, Cameron wasn't going to let it affect his future.

The guard at the door barely raised an eyebrow at the sweat on his face or the dust on his clothing. "You here for the meeting with Mr. Corinthos?"

Cameron nodded. "That's me." He looked at the clock. "On time from halfway across town on foot."

The guard didn't say anything in response. He was already opening the door behind him. "Cameron Drake is here."

"Let him in."

Cracking his neck to loosen up, Cameron took in a deep breath and entered the office only to stop short.

Jason Morgan was sitting behind the desk.

Cameron looked around. "I had a meeting with Sonny."

The enforcer barely raised an eyebrow at the mention of Sonny's first name. "He was called away for business, so you have to deal with me"

"I have to... so it's a no then... right?" Cameron could feel the anger rising deep inside him. "I can't believe you're going to ruin this for me!"

Jason stood slowly, his gaze quiet and watchful. "You're too angry for this kind of business, Cameron." He set his hands on the desktop. "Your father was the same way."

"My father-"

"Zander Smith was a hothead and he was dangerous." Jason ground his teeth together. "He got people hurt."

"Isn't that the point?" Cameron's laugh was painful for Jason to listen to. "People get hurt... I'm okay with that."

"Innocent people, Cameron. Are you okay with that?"

Banging his knuckles on the deskstop, Cameron leaned in toward Jason. "That's for me to decide, isn't it?" He smiled suddenly. "But really, it's Sonny's call not yours, so I'll just come back when he's here."

Cameron had a hand on the doorknob when Jason stopped him. "Sonny left it up to me. He thinks you may impress me yet," Jason's ice-cold gaze told another story, "but I'm not holding my breath."

Wrenching the door open Cameron left the office and then the coffee shop. "Impress you? Just you wait, Jason Morgan... I'm gonna impress the hell out of you."

Elizabeth came down the stairs and went straight to the kitchen ready to put something together for dinner. She stopped just inside the door and stared.

Jake was at the counter, rolling hotdogs in some kind of pastry and Emma was chopping up a salad. It wasn't just the way she tossed cherry tomatoes into his mouth or the way he nodded to the music they had playing from Emma's ipod. Sometimes it was just the simple moments of happiness that reminded her of everything she could have had.

No, she shook herself mentally. She did have it all. Patrick had seen to it. "Hey, you two... what's going on?"

"We're making dinner, Mom." Jake and his sister shared a look and a little laugh. "

"We're old enough to turn on the stove, Mom." Emma gave her brother a wink. "I learned in Girl Scouts."

Jake snapped to attention and held up his left hand. "And they taught me in Boy Scouts."

"Yes," Elizabeth shouldered in between them, "but you're not cooking over a campfire. What are you making?"

Halfway through the explanation, the house phone and Elizabeth's cell phone rang at the same time.

Emma grabbed the counter phone and Liz answered her own. "Hello? Hello? Is somebody there?" When she received no answer she hung up and waited for Emma to finish her call.

"Okay! Bye, Dad!" Emma's smile was sweet and long-suffering. "Dad's gonna be later than he thought... so we're supposed to eat without him."

Elizabeth's cell phone beeped a warning for a text message. She read it and then reread it again.

"I need to go and see someone... will you two be okay here by yourselves."

"We're in high school, Mom," Jake argued, "not diapers."

"Okay," smiling she pressed a kiss on each of them before she picked up her keys from the wall-mounted hooks and her purse from the counter. "You too make sure to get-"

"Ourselves fed and homework done. Yes, Mom. Night, Mom." The two chorused from the counter.

Elizabeth slid in her car and opened her phone on the dash. She listened to Patrick's away message and then left him one of her own. "Patrick, I have an errand to run... the kids are making dinner. I hope the house is still standing when you get home. See you when I get home."

The car turned over and before she shifted into reverse she looked at the text message again to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

From: PRIVATE

MESSAGE: HEAD TO NOWHERE

Her heart beating wildly in her chest Elizabeth backed down the driveway and headed out of town.


	8. Chapter 8

Part Eight

Cameron opened his wallet and stared at the tattered picture he'd hidden in the back. The carefree smile, the thick dark hair, the intense eyes, they were all that he had of the man that had given him life. Zander Smith.

A few years ago when he'd had the first real contact with his biological grandfather, Cameron had thought it odd that a man he's only heard from in phone calls and gifts wanted to spend an entire summer together with him.

It hadn't been possible, he had Boy Scout camp and a few other commitments, but Grandfather Smith had flown him across the country so that they could spend a couple of weeks fishing at the family cabin. Jake had been okay about not being invited, he had his own friends to hang out with and fishing wasn't really his thing, so he shrugged it off.

Cameron didn't. When he was out on the lake with his grandfather he'd asked him why. "I know me and Jake-"

"Jake and I," his grandfather corrected.

"Jake and I don't have the same biological father," he hated saying that word it sounded like a science class and not a person, "but we're brothers... It would have been nice to-"

"Maybe next time, but this time is just for us, okay?" That's when Grandfather Smith had taken out his wallet and removed the photo. "This was your father when he was just a few years older than you are now. He was a strong, healthy boy like you. He was smart and did well in school when he wanted to."

Cameron nodded. He liked doing good in school because it made his mom happy. She gave the best hugs and kisses when she was happy.

"He was also a strong willed young man..." from there the conversation for the rest of their time together had centered around Zander and what he had been like. He had heard a lot about Zander from his mother, but the way Grandfather Smith talked about him, he was way cooler than what he'd heard before. Then again, parents were really proud of their kids and loved talking about them... maybe that was the difference.

Now, as Cameron looked down at his father's picture he remembered the box that had arrived from Grandfather Smith a few weeks ago. A couple of books with leather covers that looked like journals. Sure enough, his father had kept a record of his time in Port Charles. Zander had a lot to say about people in Port Charles... he had a lot to say about Jason Morgan.

The door to the coffee shop opened up and Zander slid down in the driver's seat of his borrowed car. Borrowed was a word his father had used a lot in his journal... it sounded a whole lot better than... alternative words. It gnawed at Cameron deep down inside, but Jason had said to impress him and this was going to be really something.

Two guards stepped out into the shadows and moved toward the alley. From his hiding place Cameron could see the light from the lanterns fringe at the ends of Jason's hair. A sputter and a roar and Cameron knew that Jason was taking his motorcyle out for a ride. Perfect. He'd follow him and prove he could be helpful. He'd succeed where his father had gone wrong and he'd make a man of himself.

* * *

The man in the dark sedan smiled as he watched the car drive by. Lifting up his GPS he had a strong signal coming from the small compact. He looked at his companion. "Looks like the boy took the bait. This is going to be too easy."

The driver started the car and slowly pulled out to follow the blinking signal. "Don't get too excited, Ralph. The hit is worth ten million precisely because it ain't so easy to kill Jason Morgan."

* * *

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself. The road to nowhere as she and Jason called it always seemed to be cold at night... a chill was always circling around her when he wasn't there. She leaned against the railing and felt the chill of the stone knife through her body. She wanted to be warm. She wanted-

"Elizabeth."

The air, for she swore that there had been some in her lungs, was gone. Just to make sure she was still alive she drew in one long uninterrupted breath.

"Elizabeth?"

She turned around slowly and felt her heart seem to stop beating and race at the same time. "Jason."

He stared at her from a few feet away, his hands clasped together, his shoulders raised in the shadows of the road. His eyes travelled over her from her feet to her hair, his gaze was heavy and he wondered if she could feel it because she shivered as they watched each other.

He wasn't sure who moved, but suddenly they were almost close enough to touch if one of them reached out a hand.

"When did you get back?" She shook her head at the silly useless words.

"This morning." He blew out a small breath. "You look good."

Her hand lifted to touch her cheek and Jason wanted to reach out and cover her hand with his, but there was something off. Something wrong.

The wind moved some of the foliage around, but there was something, a stillness in the rough scratch of leaves that left a void in the world around him. That was never good.

Elizabeth, sensing some of his discomfort, moved forward with her hand outstretched toward him. She barely had time to decide what she was going to say to him when Jason grabbed her hand and pulled her tight against his chest, turning his back to the darkness guns spat fire in the darkness.

"Are you okay?" Jason's question was rough against her ear and Elizabeth struggled to put her feet under her body so she could stand. "Don't move yet." Jason tightened his hold on her as he pulled a gun from his waistband and returned fire, using his ears to determine what direction they were moving in.

Elizabeth kept as still as she could to make it easier on him. She could hear the thundering noise of his heart beneath her ear and felt safer for it.

Off to the side another gun shot into the darkness at their assailants. "Sounds like we have a friend out there."

Across the distance Jason saw the movement of shadows near some brush. Lifting his gun he squeezed off two shots just ahead of the movement. A loud guttural moan preceded a crash through the brush and Jason was sure he'd hit one of the gunmen. More fire from the side, again at their enemies. Jason was still keeping an 'ear' on the other gun but his main concern were the man he'd let get away. Jason waited in the shadows until he could hear the sound of a car engine turning over and the squeal of tires heading toward town.

Jason lessened the tightness of his hold on Elizabeth, setting her enough apart from him that he could see her in the little moonlight they had available. "Did you get hit?"

"No." She breathed in relief, her eyes struggling to see him in the semi-darkness.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, no... Jason... stop."

His hands stilled on her and a moment later he snatched his gun up and aimed it at the darkness to his side. "Show yourself and don't be stupid about it."

Moving slowly through the brush, his gun held up to the side, was Cameron. "Jason, I just wanted to show you that... Mom?"


	9. Chapter 9

Jason handled it better than Elizabeth did, for obvious reasons. He gave the young man one cold menacing look before taking out his phone and barking out a few orders to the men to come out and 'clean things up.'

Cam was artfully avoiding his mother's confused looks, tucking his gun in the back of his pants. "I... I thought Jason was going to some kind of business thing."

"Business? What do you know about- Where did you get that gun?" Elizabeth's voice was little more than a harsh whisper.

"Mom," Cameron looked over at Jason for a moment, "can't we talk about this later?"

"I want to know where you got a gun? I want to know when you had the time to go and do something so incredibly stupid. Cameron!"

His eyes narrowed in anger, but he didn't say anything to her. Not then. He heard the hurt in her voice and knew there was nothing he could say to take that away.

"Elizabeth." Jason reached out and took hold of her hand. "My men are on the way, but we have to go."

She wanted to argue, he could see it in her face. No matter how many years that gone since they'd last seen each other he could read her expression easily.

"Let's go."

Elizabeth's gaze was fixed on Cameron's face but she torn them away. "Fine. We'll go, but we'll talk about this tonight." Cameron nodded and stood, offering his mother a hand up. She took it and gained her feet a moment later. "Jason? Are you-" She stopped mid-sentence, moving toward him before she knew what she was doing. "Jason? Oh God, no-"

Jason leaned heavily on the cold cement wall, his hand covering his thigh. The shadows were dark, but the material of his jeans beneath his hand was darker.

"You're hit." Elizabeth had already reached into her purse and took out a kerchief, a habit from raising two boys, and tied it around his thigh to stop the flow of blood. "Jason, your men can take your bike, we'll go in my car." Her gaze caught at Cam's and she nodded at him. "You wanted to know about the business? Here's your chance. Help me get him to my car."

Cam wasn't going to argue with her. Not then. Not when her eyes were burning with anger and something deeper... like fear.

He was slim, but Cameron had grown up strong. He wrapped an arm around Jason and froze. Jason leaned closer to the young man and whispered. "Don't say a thing, just get me to the car."

Even though he was young he understood what Jason was saying to him. He knew the man was holding it together so his mother wouldn't worry. It was one thing they could agree on.

Elizabeth nearly dropped the keys in her haste to open the car. "Where-" she looked over the top of the car at Jason and Cameron, "where do I take you... to get you help."

Jason's mouth lifted in a little smile and she felt warmth flood her body... fighting off her fear. "Your studio."

She drew in a breath, steadying herself, and then she unlocked the car doors. "Okay... get in the car."


	10. Chapter 10

Cam set Jason down on the back seat and closed the door, running around to the other side of the car to get in beside him. He gave the man a questioning look and waited for a response. Jason dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a kerchief. When Elizabeth had her eyes focused elsewhere, Jason slipped the kerchief into his jacket and set it against the wound in his side.

His glare at Cam said many things... mostly SHUT UP.

As they moved down the mountain road a Black SUV raced up at them. Elizabeth met Jason's eyes in the rear-view and he shook his head. "Ours."

Letting out a sigh of relief she concentrated on the road.

Cam watched Jason carefully. He knew Jason had been shot twice - once in the leg and once in his side, but he had no idea how bad the second was.

"Do you want to tell me what you were doing out there, young man?"

The mother tone of her voice was painful to his ears. "I was following Jason."

"Following, Jas-" her inarticulate groan of words bit into his consciousness. "Why would you do something like that?" She looked up at Jason, but the enforcer didn't meet her gaze. She turned back to Cameron and waited.

"I asked Mr. Corinthos for a job. He said I had to impress Jason."

"Impress?" She tried to keep her tone from shrieking and almost succeeded. "I... I can't.. " she dragged in gulp after gulp of air. "You could have been killed." When she looked back through the mirror she looked not just at Cam but at Jason. "Were they Alcazar's men?"

"Yeah." He met her worried gaze in the mirror. "He upped the price to ten million."

Her last breath nearly sobbed from her lips. "He really wants you dead."

Cam felt like a complete idiot. He'd been hasty. He'd been determined. He'd been irresponsible... they'd probably followed him trying to find Jason and he'd been only too stupid to lead them right to the enforcer... and he'd nearly gotten his mother killed in the process.

He felt like he should turn around and face the corner of something like it. Sure, his mom was a nurse and she'd taken care of hurt people before. He'd even seen her in the middle of his school Open House help a man having a heart attack. She was all business when it came to blood... except this time.

Every movement of her hands or Jason Morgan's body brought a hiss of sympathy from her lips. She watched his face constantly for any signs of pain. He rarely moved unless she told him to and even then he seemed to be dealing with the pain well. Almost too well.

"I can't believe you bought this place." She spared a glance at the old brick walls surrounding them. "You didn't even change anything."

Cam followed her look and saw an easel in the corner and a few canvases, some with paint on them. The sight tugged on some memories deep inside his head, but he had no real context for the feelings.

"There's a kit, on the table." Jason's words were tight, scratched between his lips.

Without anyone asking, Cam picked up the kit and brought it to his mother, opening the snap locks and setting it down beside her so she could look in it.

"Scissors." She picked up the shears and turned to Jason. "I've used so many of these on your clothes over the years you should buy stock in the company." She bent over his leg and started to cut away his pants.

"What," he hissed in pain as he shifted his shoulder, "what makes you think I didn't?"

Looking up from her work, Elizabeth's shocked gaze met Jason's and Cam again felt like he was intruding. There was something between them that crackled with energy and buzzed with tension.

"That's not funny." She turned back to her work and finished removing the leg of his pants. "I'm sure the next thing you'll tell me is that you own the jeans company, too."

Jason didn't shrug this time, but he did tilt his head to the side to catch her attention. "It'a a good return on my investment when beautiful nurses are constantly ripping them off me."

The look in his mother's eyes floored him. Heat flared between the two people on the couch and Cam had to turn away. Never in a million years would he have thought of his mother and Jason Morgan... but then... turning back slowly he looked at the man sprawled on the couch, his face alight with a smile rather than the stern angry look that seemed to be etched on his features and Cameron saw more than he intended.

He saw the truth.  
"You're Jake's father."

Both Jason and Elizabeth were shocked from their reverie. Turning toward Cameron, Elizabeth returned the shocked look of her son with a soft, almost melancholy smile. "Yes... he is."

Cam's gaze was focused on Jason's face, cataloging the similarities to his younger brother, the hair, his features... "I always thought he had mom's smile, but when you... when she made you laugh... it's him... I mean, it's you!"

Unbidden tears rolled down Elizabeth's cheek and she swiped them away before reaching into the kit for a pair of forceps. Jason reached out to touch her arm and steady her. The gesture was so simple and yet so intimate that Cam suddenly felt the walls close in on him. "I need.. I have to get some air."

"Cam, wait!"

His mother's voice stopped him at the door. He looked at her over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"You can't say a word to anyone... and I need you to pick up some things."

Jason watched the young man balk. It must be a lot to take in at one time... and Cameron obviously wasn't dealing well with it. "Cam... my men will come and take the car. They'll have it cleaned."

Cam shut his eyes, understanding. After all, there was blood all over the back seat and at couple of bullet holes in the body.

"They'll pick up whatever Elizabeth needs, but I want you to be careful out there..."

"I just want to walk around for a bit. I'll be right back."

Elizabeth's look was telling. It was the same old worrisome frown when she knew she couldn't quite get through to him. "Jason's right.. be careful and come back soon." She pointed at her purse. "Get my wallet and pick up something to eat, okay?"

A measure of control came back and the corner of his mouth twisted in a grin. "I think I can manage on my own, Mom." A moment later he was out the door.

**** ****

Elizabeth couldn't quite meet Jason's eyes as she continued with her ministrations. She removed the bullet from his leg, wincing at the 'ping' of sound it made in the old soup can. She wrapped his leg and sat back to look at him. Her curious gaze turned to concern as she saw the sheen of perspiration on his face, the wet spikes of his hair. "What's wrong?"

Jason started to ease his jacket off and she cried out.

"Oh my... Jason!" She went to work, pulling on the arm of the jacket as one hand held his kerchief to his side. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You," he grunted as he twisted his shoulder to help her, "were busy."

"You," she hissed as removed the other arm and turned him to the side, "are an idiot." Wiping the back of her hand over her forehead she began again, trying to patch up yet another hole in his hide.

As he watched her work on his side, her soft breath feathering over his bare skin he realized that he was in danger of breaking every rule he'd set for himself. As Elizabeth's dark blue eyes roamed over his injury he stared at her face and willed himself to remember every eyelash, every plump bit of skin beneath her lipgloss, and every pounding beat of his heart inside his chest as she leaned close enough for him to catch her scent.

"Elizabeth."

Being this near to Jason, their thighs pressed up against each other, her hands on his bare flesh, the sudden brush of muscle against the side of her breast. She couldn't help the way her body reacted to him... she never could. She took in deep breath after deep breath, but it didn't calm her. Instead she took in his scent.. the dark midnight scent of his skin as though he brought the fresh scent of mountain air with him where ever he went.

He shifted and the rough scrape of his denim clad thigh against hers encased only in her scrubs was nearly her undoing. Her body wanted him, just as much as her heart did, but she couldn't. No matter how much her body wept to press against him she couldn't... not when felt the cool press of her wedding band against her skin.

She swayed and his hand reached out to steady her. A simple touch on her waist but her eyes flickered up to meet his intense gaze and her mouth went dry. "Jason."

A soft knock at the door broke the spell and when Jason answered his guard Elizabeth felt the break of the connection between them.


	11. Chapter 11

Parker waited for permission before entering and held out a bag toward Elizabeth. "Medicine... the usual antibiotics, water, and other things." He held up his other hand. "Keys to a loaner car for Mrs. Drake." He saw Jason wince and Elizabeth's cheeks blush with color. He remembered too late the history between the two and hurried on. "It's a generic rental, not one of our fleet, so Alcazar shouldn't be able to track her."

Elizabeth smiled at the guard. "Thanks,... umm-"

"It's Parker, but no thanks... we're happy you were around to patch him up. The other guards told me where this place was." He looked around at the odd furniture inside the studio. "I guess you're the painter, huh?"

She shrugged. "I was."

Parker seemed to realize he was intruding. Setting the bag and keys down on the table he disappeared into the hall.

Elizabeth started to stand. "Jason, I-"

He took hold of her hand and turned it slightly. The light from the wall fixture shone brightly on the plain wedding band. "Tell me he's been good to you."

They both heard the catch in his voice and Elizabeth took a moment to look at his face, taking in for the first time the changes that the years have made to his face. His face was a little narrower than it had been, little wrinkles near his eyes, wrinkles she knew were mirrored on her own face. His body, she knew from first experience that his body was just as muscular as it had been the last time she saw him, but even with all the years that had gone between their last meeting and now... he was still Jason and he was still worried. "Patrick has been wonderful." Her smile was soft. "After Robin's death and when you found out that Lorenzo was still alive and had put a contract on you..." she let out a breath, "we spent so much time together just trying to keep our feet underneath us... keeping the boys and Emma happy and healthy and..." she looked at Jason and then away as if she was worried about how the word would hit him, "steady."

She didn't have to worry. "I get it." He turned her hand again, staring at the metal glowing in the light. "I just wish I had been the man who gave it to you."

Jason lifted his head and his eyes caught hers and neither of them was sure who it was that shook, but they clasped their hands tightly together as Elizabeth bit her lip for a moment before she responded. "I do too."

A moment later the energy that had been sustaining her in a rush for most of the day seemed to drain out of her and she stifled a yawn behind a hand.

"You want me to have someone drive you home?" Jason slid his hand up her arm and brushed his knuckles along her forearm on the way back down to her wrist. "I don't want you driving alone if you're too tired."

She shook her head. "There's some place I can get a soda on the way and I need to get home and check in with the kids." Elizabeth stood slowly, pausing to brush her hand along his shoulder. "I want you to rest and when I can, I'll come and check on you..." she leaned down and brushed a kiss on his temple, "please stay alive." She moved toward the door, picking up her things on the way, and stopped, her hand on the doorknob.

Jason turned to look at her, the soft scrubs as lovely on her as any number of dresses from his memory just because she was the one wearing them. He watched her turn back to look at him and wanted to get up and take her in his arms.

"Stay alive," she repeated with barely any volume to her words, "because knowing you're out there somewhere makes me get up in the morning."

* * *

Cameron waited until his mother left before he walked back up to the studio, a take-out box in his hands from Kelly's. He knocked on the door and heard the tense answer from within. He opened the door and stepped inside under the icy watchful gaze of Jason Morgan.

"Your hands are full."

Looking down at the tray he nodded. "Yeah, I brought something for you to eat."

Jason's gaze didn't move from Cameron's face. "Unless you have a hand free, you're dead." His eyes nailed the young man to the door. "You've got a gun in your waistband, but I don't see you getting to it in time."

Cameron shifted from one foot to another. "I have a lot to learn."

"You'll never live that long." Jason shifted on the sofa and used his good leg to move the coffee table closer. "That's why we need to talk. Sit down."

Shifting the box to one arm, Cameron picked up a bentwood chair and set it across the coffee table from Jason. He set the box down and unpacked the food. "I didn't know what you liked so I just brought a couple of sandwiches and soup," he heard the subtle groan and looked across at Jason, "something wrong?"

Jason grinned a little. "Your mom always brought me soup when she took care of me."

Cameron finished unpacking as they talked. "It's hard imagining my mom... taking care of you here... all by herself."

"She's a strong woman, Cameron... the strongest I know."

He sat down in the chair and handed Jason a sandwich. "You mention Alcazar's hit on you... is that the only reason you stayed away from Jake?"

Cameron could tell that his question through Jason off his game, but he didn't expect the answer as quickly as it came or the strength of emotion behind the words.

"He's the only reason I stayed away from any of you." Jason looked at Cameron for a long moment before she spoke again. "I did everything I could to keep both of you boys safe from my life and if that meant giving up Elizabeth I was willing to let her go."

Cameron kept his eyes on the enforcer, reading every movement. "But you still care about her."

"Care?" Jason's eyes narrowed as he struggled to sit up. "If I had to lay down my life to keep any of you safe, don't doubt that, Cam... not for a minute."

Maybe it was the heated grate of Jason's voice... or maybe it was the use of his old nickname said in a voice he recognized in some dark corner of his mind... but Cameron believed it deep down inside. Still, there were so many other questions he needed answered.

"You knew my father... my birth father."

"Zander?" Jason sighed and shifted on the couch. "I knew him."

It was clear by the tone of his voice that Jason didn't like Zander much.

"My grandfather sent me his journals... told me a lot of things about what he had been trying to do before he was killed... told me about the business... that's why I wanted in. I wanted to get all those things he had wanted. Make it easy for my mom once I got enough money... give her the kinds of things I can't just waiting tables or working on cars. I read all about it..." he looked down at the open sandwich box in his lap.

"But you're starting to think it's not as easy as he made it out to be?"

"He never said it was gonna be easy." Cameron sighed. "But i'm getting to think I he didn't give me the whole story about you... about my mom."

An odd twist of a smile touched Jason's lips. "I bet he had a lot to say about us." Leaning back against the couch Jason let out a long sigh. "And I bet you have a lot of questions..."

"Yeah... a lot."

Jason reached for the cup of coffee from the table. "Go ahead and ask."

* * *

Patrick wasn't a light sleeper by habit, but when he'd gone to sleep and Elizabeth still wasn't home he'd only napped while he waited. So now, when he heard the door creak open it only took a moment for him to sit up in bed and reach for the light. "Elizabeth?"

She came into the room with heavy feet and dropped her bag just inside the door. "Did you wait up?"

He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. "I was worried about you." Her smile was faint and he could tell she was tired. "Why don't you come to bed and-"

"Jason was shot tonight up at the old bridge outside of town."

"Jason?" Patrick struggled to sit up straighter and blink away sleep. "When did he get back?"

Elizabeth pressed her hand to her forehead as her voice wavered. "He came back because Cameron asked Sonny for a job."

"Cameron?" Shoving back his blanket, Patrick moved to the edge of the bed and reached out a hand. Elizabeth took it gratefully and moved into the circle of his arms.

"I had gone to meet Jason and he was about to tell me when-"

Patrick reached over the tilted the shade on the lamp so that the light shone brightly on Elizabeth, making her blink her eyes. He quickly examined her from her shoulders on down, pulling her onto his lap when he was done. "I bet when the bullets started flying he shielded you."

He felt her shiver in his embrace.

"He was shot twice... I took him to an old... safe house and removed the bullets."

Tightening his hold on her he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You took a private client without me, Drake?" He slid a hand up her back to warm her. "I guess you think you're going to keep the money for yourself... buy a pretty purse or something like that, huh?"

He heard her chuckle. "Nope, but there's this Jaguar with my name on it down at the dealership."

"Oh," his fingers tickled along her ribs, "that's right... Jason Morgan would be able to afford a Jaguar." His laughter died away as he brought her closer to his chest. "Are you okay? I mean, honestly?"

"I'm alive," she looked up at him and his concern brought tears from her eyes, "but Jason's going to talk to Cameron... explain what his life is really like... explain what you can lose-"

"Like Jake... like you." Patrick hugged her close, breathing in the sweet scent of her. "It's late... and you're wiped. Why don't you climb in bed and get some rest. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do with Cameron."

She nodded and crawled over him to her side of the bed. She welcomed his warmth when he spooned up behind her. "I want to thank you, Patrick."

"Me?" His soft chuckle brushed her hair from her ear. "For my good looks? That's genetic, and-"

"For being here all these years... for being a father to my boys... for letting me help you raise Emma... for giving me a good life."

"Well, you just remember that the next time I forget Valentines Day and..." He felt the shift in her body, the heavy press of her against his arm. She had fallen asleep... and no doubt she was tired after her long day. Patrick moved her hair around so he could press a kiss to the nape of her neck and cuddled tight against her warmth.

Jason Morgan coming back had been something he'd accepted years ago. He knew the man wouldn't stay away forever. Still, the years had gone by and Patrick had found himself beginning to hope for just another day without Jason Morgan in Port Charles... but now, now that he was back, Patrick could only wonder what that meant... for all of them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

Cameron stared down at the unfinished sandwich in his lap and couldn't seem to put a thought together.

Jason didn't say a thing either. They sat in silence, each dealing with their own ghosts in their own way.

It didn't last for long.

"Sonny managed to have kids. Michael, Morgan, Kris-"

"He had them, but Michael was shot.. in a coma for months... he wasn't even the target of the shooting." Jason looked down at his hand, the slight quiver of his fingers. "I asked your mom to marry me once."

"You did?"

"I told her I'd find a way. I told her I would get double.. triple the security... but that was before Michael was shot and I had to stand over his bed at the hospital and look at his body laying there... still and unmoving... tubes and monitors... and then I saw you."

"Me?" Cameron shifted forward on the chair. "Where did you see me?"

"Laying there in bed, in Michael's place, still as death. I saw you there and I knew I couldn't protect you. And that was the last time I let myself hope."

Cameron imagined what it was that had gone on in Jason's head and then he thought about all the years that he'd been gone... the way he'd turned his back on them and left. "You're a liar."

"Liar?" Jason sat up and cringed at the pain in his side. "I don't lie."

"You're in the mob and you don't lie?" Cameron stood up, his sandwich container falling to the floor at his feet. He almost stooped to pick it up, but stepped over it instead. "You're so f*ckin' full of it, Jason.. how the hell am I supposed to believe a word out of your mouth when you lie for a living?"

Cameron wrenched the door open and slammed it behind him.

"Dammit." Jason set his tray to the side and used his good arm to get up from the sofa. "Cameron?" He started to move toward the door but a sudden twinge in his leg seized and Jason fell between the sofa at the coffee table. "Cameron!"

The hall was silent and Jason twisted, trying to reach his phone on the coffee table, but he couldn't reach it... couldn't stop the pain shooting through his leg, couldn't get back on his feet... and within a few minutes he was unconscious and lying in a growing pool of blood.

* * *

Patrick looked over at the clock and sighed. It was almost 3am and he was beginning to be very happy that he had nothing big planned for the next day. No surgeries, no procedures... just a couple of consults. He would be in no condition to do anything that required a lot of concentration, not with the way he was feeling. Elizabeth murmured something beside him, her hands grasping at the blanket, fisting it into a wrinkled mess.

Carefully tucking her into his side he smoothed his hand over her forehead as he had done for years and felt her relax against his longer frame. Reaching over to the side table he picked up his cell and opened a text message

SEND TO: CAM

MESSAGE: WORRIED ABOUT YOU. ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP?

He sent the message and set the phone down on his chest to wait... no, hope for an answer.

He'd raised Cameron since the child had entered Kindergarten and unlike Jake who'd taken to him right away, Cam had been wary of him for months, always watching him with a cool expression. It had taken him months of picking him up from day-care, making him breakfast and all sorts of other everyday usual activities until he had so much as a smile from Cam. Now, thinking of what Cam had done... going to Sonny Corinthos for a job. Had it all been for nothing?

Patrick looked from Elizabeth to his silent phone and wondered where and when he'd failed Cameron.

* * *

Cameron paced down by the harbor, kicking at invisible rocks, stirring up dust... anything to keep his mind occupied. He'd sat there and listened to Jason's sob story about how much he cared about them... how he wanted to be a family with them. He took out his phone and stared at the blinking icon. A text message from Patrick. "Great... just perfect."

Life sucked. That much Cameron knew. Life sucked and he was in the middle of major suckage at the moment. He wanted to call Patrick... hell, he wanted to go home and pretend he was a kid again and crawl into bed between his parents and have his mother whisper how much she loved him and feel Patrick's strong hand on his back. He wanted to crawl back in time and forget all the stupid things Zander had said in his journal and how close he'd come to believing the pack of lies that Jason had tried to pass off on him.

"How could I be so stupid?"

His phone rang and he looked at, finger poised to send it straight to voice mail but he changed his mind when he saw the name on the call EMMA.

He opened the phone and held it to his ear. "Hey, Emmers."

"Hey, Cam... do you have ANY idea what time it is?"

He knew by the lack of lights on in the main part of town that it was late... freakin' early/late. "So?"

He heard another voice on the line. "Where is he?"

"I'm getting to that, Jake... just wait." Then. "Where are you, Cam? Your beds been empty all night and Mom was crying earlier in her room."

"I've been working on something."

"Working on something... what a lame excuse, brother-of-mine. Come on... spill."

Cameron's mind was not only sleep deprived but it was angry as well. Not a good combination. "Since you're both up... why don't you come and meet me down at Kelly's. I have someone Jake needs to meet."


	13. Chapter 13

Cam waited outside Kelly, staring up the side of the road that he expected them to come from. Sure enough, there was a cab pulling up to the curb with two stupid teenagers in the back. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a wad of cash and paid the driver as Emma climbed out and held the door for Jake. The two of them huddled together like birds on a wire as they waited for the driver to peel away from the curb. Jake was the first one to speak. "I can't believe you called us to Kelly's just for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Jake shook his head. "I bet it's a girl... the way he got us out here this early. Has to be important."

Cam nodded, looking back from one to the other, his smile growing by the moment.

Emma and Jake gave each other sidelong glances. "Why am I suddenly afraid?"

Emma elbowed her brother and sighed. "Well, I'm hungry. So get me breakfast and you can have me meet anyone you like. "

Cam walked them both inside and nodded at Kim, the girl on the morning shift.

She gave him a wink. "It'll be ready in a minute." She disappeared into the kitchen and Emma punched Cam in the arm.

"Is she the one you want us to meet."

Cam's head dropped back. "I don't know why I even bothered calling you dorks."

Kim was back in a moment with a tray. She set it on the counter. "There you go."

Handing her money for the bill and a generous tip he picked up two bags and handed one toward Jake. Emma snapped that up from his hand deflecting Jake's protest.

"I can carry a bag." Jake smiled at his brother when Cam handed him a bag. "Thanks."

"Just hurry up." Cam was already at the door. "We've got someone to visit."

* * *

When they ended up on the docks Emma stopped up short. "This is crazy, Cam... I don't know why we're here and I'm all for fun, but we've got school and I'm starving. When are we going to stop to actually eat this food you got us?" She shook the bag and gave him a pointed look.

Cam pointed up the stairs he was standing next to. "He's right up here. Come on..."

Jake shrugged at his sister and moved along after Cam, shifting the take out bag into the crook of one arm as he reached for the rail. Emma walked up just behind him watching for any weakness or sign that he might stumble. They'd been doing it for as long as they could remember. After the hit and run when Luke Spencer had hit Jake with his car even the staff at GH couldn't quite fix everything that had broken. While they'd given him back the ability to walk he would always have a little weakness in his left leg as there had been too much damage to fix it all.

Still, Jake had been an example to all of them by suffering through years of physical therapy and always finding a way to come out on top of every challenge he'd faced. Still, as his family, they'd all watched out for him where they could.

At the top of the stairs, Emma gave the dark hallway a grimace. "What's up here? This is some kind of warehouse, or.."

Cameron held up a finger for quiet and then waved them closer. "You guys are about to meet some one pretty damn important."

Emma huffed. "Okay, but when we meet them... can we eat?"

Jake shook his head. "You and your stomach..."

Cam grabbed the knob the two of them could argue for hours and not come up for air. "Alright, Mr. Morgan, I've brought-" Cam stepped inside the room, "Holy sh*t."

Emma stopped in mid-argument. "Cam? What's wrong?"

"Emma? Call mom... call her now."

"Call Mom?" Emma reached into her pocket for her phone. "And tell her what?"

"Tell her to come down to her old Studio, NOW."

* * *

_Across town... five minutes earlier..._

Elizabeth was fast asleep, her mind racing with thoughts... the strain of the last day twisting at her mind... even Patrick's reassuring presence in bed wasn't of any help whatsoever. She couldn't shake an odd feeling she was having... her arms... her legs... were heavy... sluggish... she felt as though there was a huge weight on her body and she couldn't turn over.

"Patrick?" Her voice was muffled in her pillow, but her rising panic pushed at her. Her leg brushed up against Patrick's and the contact shook her completely awake. "Patrick!"

Blinking, he sat bolt upright. "What?"

Elizabeth's phone blared from the nightstand but she had already slid off the bed. "Something's wrong."

Patrick grabbed her phone and opened it up. "Emma? What? Slow down." He listened as their daughter fought hysterics to talk to him. Elizabeth was pulling on the first set of scrubs that she pulled out of her drawer. "Alright... we'll be there... just... yes, exactly... you know what to do." He closed the phone and slid of his side of the bed toward the closet. "They're at your old studio... looks like you'll need my help this time."


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14**

Patrick had to admire Elizabeth. She was holding it together when he would have been screaming. If it was her bleeding out on the floor and he was miles away... he kept up a steady stream of conversation with Emma as she filled him in on vitals and he gave her instructions.

Elizabeth was driving, her knuckles white and her eyes glued to the road in front of them. The only way he could tell that she was alive was the sudden and syncopated gasps of breath coming from her lips. Even before he knew what he was doing. He reached over and swept her hair from the nape of her neck and smoothed his fingers over the stiff muscles in her neck. She visibly relaxed and leaned into his touch. Her breathing began to slow, but he slowly withdrew his hand when tears began to fall down her cheeks.

* * *

Emma's mind was swimming. She was like a two-way radio, both passing on information from one side to other and gathering information in the other direction. She was the mouthpiece, but Jake and Cam were the ones actually dealing with Jason Morgan.

In between the rapid fire questions and answers she peered down at the quiet expression of Jason Morgan. They turned him over and were at work to try to keep the wound closed and whatever blood was left in his body to stay there. She watched her older brother slowly freakout and then implode as he leaned over the unconscious man, his hands holding the wound closed. He muttered underneath his breath and she knew he was feeling the heat of some kind of conflict. Ever since he'd graduated from PC High he'd started to live his life kind of like a pinball bouncing back and forth from one thing to another whenever he wasn't in classes at PCU.

"Where do we get blood?" Jake's question startled her and she echoed it to her father.

Even before he had thought of the answer, her mom's voice answered back with Jason's blood type. The ease of the answer startled Emma, but a moment later her father explained that Jason's men knew where to get blood and they'd bring it as soon as they could.

"Tell him the pulse is slowing."

Emma relayed it and then back she asked. "Does he have a temperature?"

Jake looked down at his hands, both of them covered in blood, he couldn't even turn his hand over and press the back of it to Jason's forehead so he leaned over the body and pressed his cheek to the man's forehead for a moment. "Nope. No temperature... he's pretty cool instead."

Jason stirred, his eyes flickering open for a moment as Jake started to lean back. The young man whose knees were starting to ache from his crouch on the floor stared down into brilliant blue eyes dilated by pain and saw the startling truth.

"Jake?" Jason's voice rasped from his lips and his hand reached up to grasp Jake's arm.

Jake had nothing to say except to nod his head and move back down toward the wound in his leg and try to save the life of the man who gave him his.

* * *

The number of guards standing just in the shadows surrounding the brick building would have given Patrick pause at any other time, but knowing that in a few moments his entire family would be inside the building, he was grateful for the protection. He nodded at the men as he ushered Elizabeth through the crowd, his hand at her back, his eyes watchful of the world around them.

Emma met them at the top of the stairs and the young woman rushed into her mother's arms as they walked the hall together. Chatting a mile a minute, Emma caught them up on the last few minutes from the time they'd hung up their phones. Elizabeth and Patrick listened carefully as she spoke and Elizabeth ran a shaking hand through their daughter's hair before she brushed a kiss on her cheek "You've been such a big help, sweetie."

Emma heard the tightness in Elizabeth's voice, but didn't say anything as the Nurse in Elizabeth exerted herself as she entered the room.

Under Patrick's instruction they managed to get Jason up on the couch and ready for what they'd need to do. Jake was sent down the hallway with Cam to use the public bathroom to wash their hands. Emma helped Jake up before she took her place at her father's side to help him.

* * *

Cam paced alongside his brother, keeping an eye on Jake's expression. Jake's limp was even more pronounced as they walked toward the bathroom side by side. It had been a knee-jerk reaction on Cam's part. He wanted... Cam stopped short for a moment as Jake continued on. He'd wanted to stick it to Jason... to push his buttons and show his lie for what it was. A lie. Still, in his moment of anger, he'd forgotten his brother and the tender soul beneath his sunny demeanor. He'd struck out at one person and worried that he'd hurt another person entirely.

Stopping at the door to the bathroom, Jake half-turned toward his brother and Cam raced to catch up. "You okay?"

"Okay?" Jake stared down at his hands and the blood drying on them before he looked up at his brother, his blue eyes watering slightly. "I just hand my hands on a bleeding man... who could die in that room if they can't save him." He let out a breath and sighed. "I just had my hands on my birth father and I just realized that he might die before I could get to know him... he knows who I am." Jake shook slightly.

Avoiding the blood on his hands, Cam pulled Jake into an embrace and held him tightly. "Jake, I-"

"You know," Jake stepped back, leaning heavily on his good leg, "when Lucky Spencer stopped sending us cards or even calling to see how we were I was upset and I kept thinking... I wish someone else was my father."

"And now?" Cam worried for his younger brother.

"Now?" Jake shook his head. "Now I know Lucky isn't my birth father... but how did Mom ever get involved with a member of the mob?"


	15. Chapter 15

Patrick, having called into the hospital hours ago to notify them that both Dr. and Nurse Drake would be out for the day, ushered Cam and Emma home. Jason was out of danger and resting on Elizabeth's old couch and he thought Jake should stay behind with his mother. There were things they should talk about... and Jake didn't need an audience for the conversation.

Emma leaned her head against the passenger window, her eyes half closed. Reaching his arm over he gave her hand a squeeze. The young lady she was becoming reminded him so much of Robin. Her quiet ease under pressure was also something he attributed to Elizabeth's influence over the years. Emma had the best of both women and she would grow up to be an amazing young woman.

A shift of movement behind him drew his eyes to the rear-view mirror. Cam was staring down at his hands. The blood had long been washed off but Patrick knew it was still on Cam's mind. While he'd inherited a number of things from his father, Patrick believed deep down inside that Cam's heart had been his mother's greatest contribution to her eldest. He might be rash and wrapped up too much in his birth father's old journals and anxieties, but deep down inside there was a lot of love inside of him... as long as he was up to letting it out.

Shaking himself free of his reverie, he set his turn signal and pushed the garage door opener and slowed until the door was high enough to clear the roof. He'd wait until the kids were asleep and call to see if Liz needed anything... if she didn't call first.

* * *

Jake sat beside his mother in her old studio, his eyes alternately drifting around the room and then back to the man lying quietly on the sofa. His mother had surprised him so many ways that day. From calm nurse to frightened mother, from a general barking out orders to men with guns tucked in their waistbands to a woman hiding her tears behind her hand, they were sides of his mother that fascinated him and scared him at the same time.

Elizabeth ran her hand softly over Jason's forehead and then turned it over to feel his skin for a fever. "So far so good." Jake knew she was murmuring to herself, but it was comforting to hear the words.

"Jake?" Her question startled him and he turned to see her deep blue eyes searching his face. "Honey, I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

He thought about it for a minute before he answered her. "No, not really." The answer was surprisingly true. "I guess you can't take a look at Jason... and me and not 'know.'" He sighed, a heavy sound that slouched him in his chair. "Is that why he stayed away?"

"Yes and no." She turned slightly in her chair to face him. "He knew that if people found out that he was your father, we'd all be in danger." She pressed her lips together for a moment. "While you were a baby and for a few years after that he was here in Port Charles. He spent a little time with you, but every time he had to say goodbye-"

She found herself unable to speak, her chest tight, her hands shaking. Jake reached out and took her hand in his.

"Mom?"

"Yes," she gulped out the word and then smiled, nervous laughter on the verge of her tongue. "Yeah, honey?"

"Do you... did you love him?"

"Jason?" She squeezed Jake's hand. "Yes... Jason and I have know each other for a long time and when we... when he found out that I was pregnant with you," tears bubbled on her lashes, "we tried... we wanted to be together... and then Michael was shot just because he was near Sonny."

"Michael Corinthos?" Jake saw his mother's nod and lowered his eyes. Michael Corinthos had gone into business with his father, taking over the Coffee Importing business. He'd been killed in a car accident a little under a year after he took over. Had been killed. "Mom?" He caught her gaze and saw the haunting look of fear in their deep blue. "Michael's accident?"

She shook her head. "Brake failure... on a perfectly new car." She took in a long shuddering breath. "We wanted you to grow up and not have to look over your shoulder."

"And Dad?... Patrick?" Jake felt pressure building up in his chest. "Did he know... about Jason and you? Did he know about the danger?"

Again, a nervous laugh. "Sweetie, you couldn't live in Port Charles at that time and 'not' know about the danger of the business. Alcazar, we thought he was dead. In fact the Police were accusing Jason of killing him. We didn't know he'd managed to survive. It was a million to one chance... and then he put the price on Jason's head and we," she gulped, her fingers convulsing around Jake's, "we knew every chance of being together... of raising you together... it was gone in that moment." She looked at Jason when he moved slightly on the sofa and smiled at his sleeping form. "But really," she leaned closer to Jake and pressed a kiss on his cheek, "we never thought about how much you looked like him and now... looking at you, if anyone saw the two of you together... or near each other..."

Jake nodded. "They'd see he was my father in a look. I never looked like Lucky."

Elizabeth heard the relief in his voice and blushed a bit. Lucky Spenser had taken off soon after Jason did and he and Sam had moved from place to place over the years until Elizabeth had no idea where they ended up. "Not really, no."

"i'm glad." Jake gave his mother a tentative smile. "But, Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Jake looked at Jason, his gaze moving slowly over the face of the man that had given him life and then back to his mother. "Do you think he... do you think that now..."

The hopeful light she knew only too well was in his eyes and she didn't know what to say to her younger son.

"I mean, he's still got that thing with Alcazar, right? But do you.." Jake's voice trailed off and he lowered his gaze to his lap. "It's not like he's going to stay."

A soft groan from Jason's lips lifted Jake's gaze and turned Elizabeth's head. She knelt beside the sofa and brushed a hand over his forehead. "Jason, you should-"

"Jake?"

The sound of his voice saying her son's name always twisted in her gut. The rough affection in his voice was beautiful to hear.

"Jake," Jason opened his eyes slightly and looked at his son through the pain, "if I could keep you safe... and have you in my life," a breath hissed past his lips, "I would give anything... anything..."

The pain pushed him back into an unconscious slumber and Jake knelt down beside his mother and let her wrap her arms around him and hold him while they cried.


	16. Chapter 16

Emma knocked on her brother's door a moment before she opened it.

"Dammit, Emma," Cam shook his head at her, "what if I was changing my clothes or something?"

"You're my brother, Cam, that's your tough."

He turned his back on her and emptied his pockets on the dresser. "You wouldn't say that if I barged into your room."

Emma leaned up against his dresser and rolled her eyes. "That's because I'm a girl and things are different for girls than boys."

"Well, duh."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Real mature, Cam."

"Around you," he sighed, "that's as good as it gets." Working at the buttons on his shirt he opened it up and stared at the mess of his undershirt. The dark cotton of his overshirt had hidden the blood stains but now, staring at the stiff swatches of blood on the white tank top he felt a long shudder roll through his body. "You think he's gonna be okay?"

"Jason Morgan?" Emma watched her brother carefully. "Or Jake?"

Cam didn't have an answer for either of them.

"I don't know what you think you were doing, Cam. You could have killed him. What do you think Jake would have done then? Finding his father dead on the floor in a pool of blood?" She watched his face turn dark red with blood, he turned away from her but she wouldn't let him get away. Not now. She set a hand on his shoulder. "What about Mom?"

His eyes squeezed shut and he blew out a breath. "I didn't know about Mom and Jason... not really." He whipped off the tank top and dropped it on top of his shirt. "I mean I remember him coming around a lot when Mom was pregnant with Jake. He was the one that saved her at the MetroCourt and got her into an elevator before the lobby blew up. He was the one who found her the day Jake was born and got her to the hospital in time. And then he was the one to bring Jake back when he was kidnapped by that crazy woman. Jason was the one who saved her all those times... and then he walked away from her. From us. I guess I just thought he... he gave up on us... so why shouldn't we give up on him?"

Emma felt his hurt down deep inside of her chest. She'd felt the same way years ago when she was little. When her mother died. Everyone kept telling her that her mother loved her more than anything, but she'd heard the stories for herself. How her father had begged her to leave the room and stop working on the protocol for Jason but she wouldn't. She kept working on it and when the lab exploded.

Even now Emma felt the pain in her chest the twist of emotions in her middle the tears spotting her lashes. She'd wondered if her mother had just given up instead of trying to save herself. Instead of trying to come home... instead of being her mother.

"Are you so angry," she wondered aloud, "that you'd want to see someone die because of it?"

The truth hit him hard. The truth he'd seen in his father's journals. The anger he'd had toward Jason because of Elizabeth. Because of the business. The anger he'd developed thinking about it over and over. "I thought I was."

Emma wrapped her arms around her brother and held him tight. Maybe it was the splash of her tears against his chest that got to him or the memory of Jason's blood on his hands, or maybe it was just because he felt the world crashing down around him, but Cam held on tightly to his sister in the quiet of his room.

* * *

Elizabeth couldn't resist the temptation. Taking out her phone she snapped a quick picture of Jake. The boy had fallen asleep against the sofa, his head tilted lightly on the seat. Jason had shifted his hand in his sleep and his palm was pillowed on Jake's hair. The two of them looked like they were just taking a nap after a long day together. It was a deceptive image but it was also a true one. The true connection between two people as deep as dna and down to the soul.

She'd barely taken the photo when her phone buzzed in her hand. Turning it around she smiled at the image. Standing up slowly she moved to the window to keep the conversation quiet so they could sleep.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Liz," she could hear the smile in his voice, "how are you doing?"

"The patient is fine, Doctor Drake."

"What?" His laughter was rich. "I was asking about you."

"I know, but usually the first thing out of your mouth after surgery is about the patient." She knew she was being coy with him.

"Okay, if you're not going to answer that question. Then how about this. How did Jake take the news?"

Her breath was knocked out of her again and she leaned her forehead against the glass. "He's dealing with it. Somehow he's processing it, but I don't think it's really hit him yet."

"And Jason?"

She shook her head before she realized that he couldn't see her. "He only woke up for a minute, but-" she gasped in a breath as tears suddenly threatened to fall from her eyes. "He told Jake... what he needed to hear." A pause. "How are Emma and Cam?"

Patrick sighed. "They were up in Cam's room last I heard."

"That's good... they're good with each other."

"We're good, aren't we?" Patrick sounded confused with his own words. "We're good with each other."

"Of course we are." She looked over at Jason and Jake and bit back the tears. "If it wasn't for you... Patrick, you know how much I love you."

"I love you too, Nurse Drake." He tried to laugh, but there was a heaviness between them... an expectant pause that neither of them knew how to fill. "You take care... and call me if you need anything."

She laughed it off. "I don't think we'll have any trouble with Jason-"

"You, Liz," Patrick's voice was insistent, "if 'you' need anything... I'm here if you need me."

"I know... thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned around to find Jason awake and watching her.

"Patrick?"

She dropped her phone into her pocket and moved closer. "Yeah, he was just checking up on you."

Jason smiled and grimaced from the pain. "He's worried about you." Shifting on the couch he sat up a little more and brushed his hand over Jake's bangs. "I worry about you too." He swallowed, trying to wet his mouth. "I never stopped."

"I know." She watched him as he smoothed Jake's bangs back down. "That's why you stayed away." She drew in a long breath and then let it go. "And that's why you're going to leave us again, aren't you?" She held up her hand. "Don't... I understand... this thing with Alcazar, I know... I know it's not safe... but there's a part of me..."

"Me too."

There it was... that great unspoken chasm between them. The longing that they'd never had a chance to fulfill. It was in the room with them with the same weight and presence of another person and still they couldn't bring themselves to talk about it. Jason had a price on his head and Elizabeth had built a life for her children... for herself. Still...

When Jason looked up at her with his brilliant blue eyes and she smiled down at him from the deep blue of hers there was still all that love between them that would never go away.


	17. Chapter 17

Part 17

Elizabeth fell asleep a few hours later, tucked up into an old easy chair in the corner. She looked a lot younger curled up like that and Jake watched her for a few minutes, imagining what she had been like back when he was born.

"She was just as beautiful and strong."

Jake started, almost falling out of his chair as he realized that he'd spoken aloud and that Jason Morgan answered his question. Turning slightly he saw that his father was awake and propped up on his elbow watching the both of them. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Jason shook his head. "I never sleep much."

The words hit home and Jake nodded. "I guess with a job like yours... sleeping's kind of dangerous."

A little smile crossed Jason's lips. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Jake blurted out one of the questions he'd been wondering about since he laid eyes on Jason Morgan. "Before you saw me.. . you know... when you were," Jake waved a hand at the spot that they'd found Jason in, "did you know... what I looked like?" After the words left his lips in a rush Jake almost deflated like a balloon as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah." Jason shifted slightly on the sofa. "I knew," he blew out a breath and pressed his hand to his head, "I've seen stuff on the internet and your mom posts pictures online... I got to see you and Cam grow up... online. It's not," Jason swept his hand over his eyes and looked away for a moment, "the same as seeing you... in person."

"Yeah, I guess." Jake stretched his legs out in front of him and then blurted out his next question. "How long before you leave?"

Jason sighed. "As soon as I can walk."

Jake winced at the answer and Jason continued on quickly.

"It's not safe for all of you... the longer I stay in one place, the easier it will be for someone to find me."

"Do you ever... will you ever get to live again?" Jake shook himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I-"

"It's a good way to put it." Jason gave Jake a smile. "I breathe. I eat. I travel. I even work on things when it's safe. But," Jason looked at Elizabeth, his blue gaze sweeping over her sleeping form, "but I don't live." He settled his gaze on Jake. "Not the way I want to."

"I'm going to miss you when you're gone."

Jason smiled at the admission. "I miss you... all the time."

* * *

The phone's ring was shrill enough to set his teeth on edge. He grabbed it from his cradle and barked his answer. "What?"

He listened carefully a smile spreading over his lips. When the caller paused he needed to hear it again. "So you've found Jason Morgan?"

"Not quite, Mr. Alcazar," the man answered, "but we're getting close."

* * *

Jason laughed at Jake's story about his prom. "I'm sure the rental place were pretty upset about your tux."

Rolling his eyes, Jake joined in the laugh. "Yep, but hey... I was pretty proud of myself getting that tire changed." He leaned over and pointed at the picture of his date. "Kim offered to change it for me, but she looked so good in that dress and to be honest, I couldn't see her with those heels... and that... " Blushing a little, Jake continued, "it wouldn't have been fair when I knew I could do it. I helped Dad- I mean, Patrick with it once."

Jason felt for Jake. The boy didn't want to make him feel bad by calling Patrick his father. "It's okay, you know." Jason nodded. "Patrick's been a good father to you... you shouldn't worry about me." Jason handed Jake back the picture. "Or my feelings. I can take it." Jason shifted the conversation back to Jake. "You handle yourself well."

Jake knew what he was talking about. "My leg?" Jake shrugged. "I've learned to work with it. Mom and Patrick never really let me be a wuss about it." He smiled. "Sure, I'd whine about it every once in awhile... especially when it would hurt, but I never wanted to let it be the thing that stopped me from living, you know?"

"I know."

"You?" Jake shook his head. "You're like some terminator shooting up the town, you're some kind of super-shooter like Rambo... what would you know about it?" Jake wasn't mad about it, he was confused and kind of shocked. Jason Morgan was trying to make him feel better. It was crazy.

"Let me tell you about a Jason Quartermaine."

Jake thought about the name but he couldn't seem to place it. "Who's he?"

* * *

Elizabeth had been awake for a few minutes, but she was trying desperately to pretend to be asleep. She listened as Jason explained to their son about his accident and how he'd become the man he was when he met her.

He told Jake about the first time she'd found him and saved his life... the snow... the pain... the safety she offered him... the risks she took and how she'd told the whole town that she was seeing him just to keep his secret safe.

"So, is that when..." Jake paused for a moment, "you fell in love with her?"

"I don't think I had the words for it back then, but I think it was moment she ordered me to get up and help her that started it. She was so beautiful and strong and she had no problem telling me what to do and still there she was looking like an angel in the snow..."

Elizabeth opened her eyes then and looked at him across the room. She opened her mouth to speak but there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?"

"Delivery from Parker's Deli, Mrs. Drake." Her eyes swept back to Jason's. It was Sonny's guard and he wanted in.

Jason nodded and she got up from the chair.

"I'll be right there." As she crossed the room she saw the tense set of Jason's jaw. This wasn't going to be good.


	18. Chapter 18

Less than two days later Jason was getting ready to leave and Jake was struggling with the idea. He paced awkwardly near the windows, the sun warm on his face. Jason, testing his weight, moved closer but leaned against the wall as he watched the young man fret.

"I'm sorry."

Jake stopped and turned on his heel. "What?"

Jason smiled at him, his eyes roaming over Jake's face as he studied it. "I'm sorry for a lot of things, Jake... but right now I know... I want you to know that I don't want to go."

Jake folded his arms over his chest and nodded. "Yeah. I know... and I know you have to." Nearly bouncing with frustration Jake leaned closer to him and whispered. "Can't you just... I mean... you're supposed to be in the... you know... can't you just have someone 'take care' of him and get this over with?"

A ghost of smile played on Jason's lips as he looked at his son. "I wish it was that easy." Jason rubbed a hand over his face. "Lorenzo," he paused shaking his head, "I hate that I even have to explain this to you... and I think you know-"

"That I can't say anything... I know."

Jason nodded. "Lorenzo learned how to hide just like I did. It's harder with him. He has a whole bunch of people traveling with him. He's a boss. I'm just an enf-"

"You're my father." Jake huffed out the words and swallowed hard as his eyes reddened. "You shouldn't have to live like this."

Jason reached out and pulled Jake into his embrace, the young man nearly as tall as his father. "I can live like this because I know you boys and your mom are safe. That's how I get through the day. So you just go back to what things were like before I came back to town... just like I was never here-"

"No!" Jake pushed away from Jason and looked up into his father's eyes. "I won't. I know I can't tell anyone about you... but I don't need to. Everyone I love knows who you are and what you mean to me... and I'll keep our secret... but don't ask me to go back... don't ask me to pretend I don't know you... that I don't know what you sacrificed for us... for me."

Elizabeth opened the door and stopped. Looking from Jason and then to her son she wondered aloud. "Do you need a few minutes?"

Jake shook his head and rubbed at his eyes, growing up right in front of them. "No... I just... I think I'm going to go wash my face."

Elizabeth stepped inside to let Jake pass, pointing out the restroom at the end of the hall. "I'll be here when you're done."

She shut the door and leaned against it for a minute as she looked at Jason... memorizing, again, the way he looked. "It's not fair... but you know that."

"I know." He gave her a sheepish smile. "But it is what it is. It works for us, because-"

"No, it doesn't." Elizabeth blushed and she turned away for a minute to wipe some errant tears from her eyes. "It is... but it never worked... that's why we're not together."

"Elizabeth."

She gasped at the sound of his voice. No one said it the way he did. When Jason said her name it sounded like a caress. Like a prayer. Like love. When he said her name she melted and believed in fairy tales... which is why their lives... the way they had never been together... was so very very wrong.

"Jason," she managed to hold it together with her thumb playing across the warm surface of her wedding band, "I'm glad Jake had a chance to get to know you. I'll always be grateful for that. I'm just sorry you were hurt... and that Cam had a hand in this. He's a good boy, but somehow he got his head turned around and I can't believe I didn't see the signs." She shook her head. "It's like the part of him that came from Zander just couldn't be ignored."

Jason nodded. "But he's more like you underneath it all, Elizabeth... he'll come around."

"I hope so." She smiled just the littlest bit."I need to believe it."

He moved closer, his hand reaching out to her and she moved. Somehow her legs held steady until they met in the center of the room her arms wrapped around him in a close embrace. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her as well, one at a time, cradling her body against his.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't let her go, couldn't find the will to walk away. And yet he had to. One more time he had to walk away from the woman he loved and the family they should have had... the family they did have... even though he wasn't a part of it.

The door opened quietly and Elizabeth pulled back from Jason, barely managing a breath as she looked up at him. "Just take care, okay?"

He nodded and managed a smile. "You too..."

Elizabeth turned and met Jake at the door. Together, they stood there looking at Jason as they each made a memory of the moment in their own minds. Jason forced his hands into the pockets of his jeans. All he wanted to do to was hold them close and never let go.

"Hey," Jake broke the silence, "I hope you'll get a chance to start living again... when you do," he looked up at his mother and smiled, "come and find us."

Jason nodded and watched them walk out the door.

* * *

Elizabeth met Cam at the top of the stairs, Jake right behind her. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey, sweetie... you okay?"

He nodded, a small smile of chagrin on his face. "Yeah, I think I finally figured it out."

Her smile brightened and she leaned forward to give him a kiss. "Jake and I are going home... you want a ride?"

Cam's gaze darted up the stairs. "I think I owe Jason an apology."

Elizabeth drew her son into an embrace and whispered into his ear. "Thank you."

He pulled back a little and looked at her with a quizzical expression. "For what?"

"For becoming a man right before my eyes... and a man that I can be proud of." She lifted her hand and wiped some of her lipstick from his cheek. "We'll see you at home."

"I'll see you guys there." He watched them descend the stairs, his mom walking half a step behind Jake just in case. He smiled at them before he climbed up the final few stairs. He really had been a complete ass lately... and he was going to make it up to all of them.

Somehow.

* * *

Elizabeth somehow spoke above the volume of the music on the radio. "What is this called again?"

"Dubstep!" Jake bobbed his head in time to the song and tapped his hands on his knees as they drove.

"I guess it's what 'your' generation calls music..." she laughed thinking of what she used to listen to when she first moved into Grams' house in Port Charles... ahhh those were the days. "I'm thinking tonight," she almost had to shout, "is a pizza night."

"Sounds good!" Jake looked down at the console between them. "Hey! You've got a call." He reached over and turned down the radio.

"Thanks, sweetie." She pushed the hands free button and set her hand back on the wheel. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth? Thank God."

"Patrick?" Elizabeth felt fear flare in her heart. "Is something wrong?"

A moment. "Where are you? Is Jake with you?"

"We're in the car," she looked out the window, "a few minutes from home. Patrick? What's wrong?"

Jake punched the radio buttons to a talk radio station and they heard the same message that Patrick had heard on the tv just a minute ago.

"... down by the docks was leveled by a blast just a few minutes ago. Police on the scene aren't answering any questions, but by the bits of conversation that I was able to overhear from the firemen it looks like it was a gas explosion of some sort..."

Elizabeth managed to pull the car over to the shoulder of the road and she listened intently.

"... I can see the firefighters taking in stretchers... there are most likely victims inside the building-"

"Cam! Jason!"

"Cam?" Patrick's voice barked through the speaker. "Was he there with Jason?"

"Oh God..." Elizabeth turned to Jake but he already had his phone out of his pocket.

He dialed Cam's number and it went straight to the message system. "Let me try again."

Elizabeth shook, her hand barely holding onto her phone. "Cameron... oh please no..."

"Elizabeth... " she could hear Patrick's voice calling to her but she couldn't seem to understand what he was asking. She heard Jake talking to him, giving him directions, but her mind was back on her old studio and hoped beyond hope that they weren't there when it had been destroyed.

She felt tears, hot and wet, stream down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around Jake and pulled him as close as she could manage and held on for dear life.


	19. Chapter 19

A week later...

The Drake family didn't attend Jason Morgan's burial, they'd had enough of tears and enough of the rest of Port Charles acting like Jason Morgan had been a favored son. Carly had lead the mourners taking over the arrangements for Jason's funeral and burial, insisting that he be interred in the plot she had selected even though Monica had argued that he be buried in the Quartermaine crypt. They'd almost come to blows at the church and that was when the Drakes had walked out.

Cameron had been the one holding his mother's arm as they'd left the church and moved outside to their car. Curious eyes watching them saw exactly what they'd expect. A family mourning a loss of someone they'd once known.

That was all.

That's all they had to give anymore.

Cam held the car door open and waited until his mother put on her seatbelt. "You want me to come to the house with you?"

She opened her mouth and paused. Looking up at him she spoke. "You've got work to do on the shop... why don't you come and have dinner with us..."

He gave her a smile that she returned and leaned down to brush a kiss on her cheek. "Okay... I'll call you before I leave."

Jake walked up beside Emma, his eyes on his older brother. "Make sure you come by, okay? You've been working so much and then with your classes..."

Emma nodded and pulled on Cam's jacket so he'd lean down for a kiss. "You better come over later."

He held the door for his sibs and watched as Jake climbed in after Emma. Patrick gave him a smile before he climbed in behind the wheel and moments later they were gone.

Cam walked over to the side of the parking lot where the motorcycles were parked and reached for his helmet. Before he threw a leg over the seat he saw Parker leave the church and move through the crowd. The guard gave him a quick look and a nod as he went on his way. Cam couldn't stop the tentative smile that touched his lips. It was hard keeping a secret when the secret was so damn cool.

*** Flashback ***

Jason pressed a hand against his leg, the strain had been almost too much for him. Running, no matter how used to it he was, was still taxing to him. he looked over at Cam and saw the pallor of the young man's skin. "Do you have your phone?"

Cam stared back at him, barely moving even as the SUV lurched into something in the road.

Leaning closer, Jason had to bark out his words to make himself heard. "Cameron! Do you have your phone?"

The boy nodded. "Ye-yes."

"Take it out... call your mother." Cam's hands were shaking so much Jason knew it wouldn't be any time soon that he could actually accomplish it. "Parker, let me have your phone." A quick shuffle from the driver's seat and a phone was handed back to him. Flipping it open he dialed the number from memory.

* * *

Elizabeth's phone rang and she stared at the number. "I-I don't recognize the number."

Patrick looked over her shoulder. "Then send it to voice mail... we have to leave the lines open for a call."

Jake shook his head and took the phone from her. "Maybe it's them." He hit the button and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

_"Jake? Is that you? This is-"_

"Oh my God... you're okay.. what about Cam?"

_"He's here with me... he's just fine..."_

"Wait... hold on... Mom, here!" Jake shoved the phone at Elizabeth and she took in her shaking hands. "Hello, Jason?"

_"Cam's fine... I'm fine... look, I can't tell you much right now except that we're alive, but you need to keep half of that to yourselves. Listen carefully..."_

*** End of Flashback ***

A few months later...

Patrick was always thankful for the invention of pain medication... it helped every time his family decided to sing along to the radio. Jake was quiet, but Emma and Elizabeth loved to sing like they were all alone... only they weren't. Sadly, he mused, Emma had NOT inherited her grandfather's singing talent. So, if he hadn't been paying attention he wouldn't have noticed the sudden softness of Elizabeth's voice, nor the dimming of her smile. Looking at the street he knew what the problem was. He reached his hand over and covered hers, giving it a quick squeeze. "You okay?" They both glanced out of the passenger window together at the rubble of the building where her old studio had been.

She looked back at him and nodded. "Getting there... " she peered into the rear view and saw Jake plugging his ear that was closest to his sister.

"Hey, Mom?" Jake leaned closer and gave her a big smile. "You think Cam would give me a good deal on a bike that I can take to college?"

Patrick nearly choked on his laughter. "You have more chance of that than getting us to let you have one."

"Well," Emma interjected, "in a few months we'll both be 18 so we can get whatever we want."

Jake jumped on the tail of his sister's train of thought. "Right, and since we don't have to worry about tuition ..."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "I knew that was going to come back to haunt us." He gave his wife a conspiratory wink. "Maybe we should call them... um... benefactor and say 'thanks but no thanks.'"

"No way!" Jake shook his head. "Besides, we all know that J- he likes bikes... or he and Cam wouldn't have opened the shop in the first place."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and groaned. "I wonder..."

"Hmm?" Emma leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the seat to hug her mother. "What?"

"If you can possibly kill a dead man a second time?" She reached up and gave Emma's arm a squeeze. "Besides... neither of you have come to a decision about where to go... have you?"

The two exchanged looks in the back seat which had Patrick and Elizabeth very curious.

"Well," Jake started, "we went back and forth about it..."

Emma jumped in. "We even thought of going to different schools from each other..."

"But we ended up making the same decision," Jake grinned, "independently."

"Well?" Patrick was waiting to hear the answer... FINALLY.

"Johns Hopkins University!"

The two sibs were grinning ear to ear and it was enough for Elizabeth to tear up a bit. "Looks like we're going to have an empty house, Doctor Drake."

Patrick's exaggerated sigh was nearly comical. "It's about time, Nurse Drake."

A news bulletin broke into the music and the sudden change in volume was enough to draw Patrick's interest. He reached over and turned up the volume.

_"... and folks, it looks like today will go down in the "WAH?" book of "Holy Cow, How did THAT happen?" I have it hear from the AP wire that deceased mob boss Lorenzo Alcazar who was supposed to be dead... is now... um... DEAD. That's right. D-E-A-D... DEAD... unless we missed the Zombie Horde.. he must have been hiding away all these years."_

_"That's right, Steve... I remember almost twenty years ago when local mob enfor-... um.. alleged mob enforcer, Jason Morgan - also dead as a doornail - was tried for Alcazar's murder... boy that trial was a fun one, huh?"_

The mood in the car was still... heavy... and still. The laughter had been all but squeezed from the space around them as the Drakes continued to drive toward Cam's shop.

Patrick looked over at Liz quickly. "You know he's probably-"

"Yeah, Mom." Emma gave her a smile in the mirror. "I'm sure he's just fine."

Jake nodded. "I know he is."

Elizabeth could only nod and pray that somewhere... he was still alive.


	20. Chapter 20

A few months later...

Patrick managed to get their suitcases inside the house before Elizabeth was even out of the car. They'd opted to drive the kids to school and make a few stops along the way just for fun, even staying for a few days to help Jake and Emma set up their dorm rooms and for Patrick to give a stern glare to any college student coming within looking distance of their daughter. Elizabeth had been wonderful the whole trip making sure that the kids knew the campus and the surrounding area before they left. The return trip from Maryland was much faster. They'd left that afternoon and beat much of the interstate traffic on the way back. Elizabeth had said how happy she was that she was going to sleep in her own bed that night.

Still, as they'd driven down their street, she'd been very quiet... distant.

Patrick was debating whether he should go back out and get her when she stepped out of the car and walked to the house. He met her at the door and wrapped his arms around her. "You okay? I mean... it's going to be pretty quiet around here."

She nodded. "They're not that far... we can go and visit or they can come back home... "

"Bring their friends..." Patrick winced, "as long as we can get some sleep, I-" he stopped for a moment, his attention distracted by a package in the corner of the porch.

Since Jason had come back for that short time, anything odd like a package out of place... given that they'd put a stop on the mail for their vacation... was something odd. Elizabeth saw the package and looked up at Patrick. "Should we call the police?" A moment later she shook her head. "Right, we're back in Port Charles... never mind."

Leaving her behind in the doorway, Patrick made his way to the package, grateful when Elizabeth turned on all the porch lights. There was a simple scrawl of a name on the package, the writing familiar to him... now. He picked up the package and walked it over to her. "It's for you... from Jason." She took it from him and looked back up into Patrick's eyes. "Let's go inside, honey."

Elizabeth took the package inside and sat down on the couch with Patrick nearby. He felt oddly like a third wheel in the room as she stared down at the plain wrapping. She lifted up the taped flaps and set aside the wrapping as she opened the simple box and took out the contents.

Two plane tickets, and two folded pieces of paper. Elizabeth examined the tickets. "There's one for you and one for me, Patrick." He held out his hand and looked over the tickets. "First Class to Italy... huh, strange, why-"

"I've always wanted to go to Italy." The admission was soft and she almost seemed to blush with her words. "They say the light in Italy is different from anywhere in the world.. and I've always wanted to go there and paint." Her smile was sweet, filled with light.

"Oh... okay." Patrick sat there staring at the tickets in his hands. "Italy." It was an odd sensation... knowing that the woman you'd married and raised your children with had always wanted to go to Italy... and you'd never bothered to ask. Sure, he'd taken her on vacations with and without the kids. They'd been to the National Parks and to the amusement parks... from a cruise to Alaska and a stint in the Bahamas... they'd had fun... but they'd never gone to Italy. "What does... what to the papers say?"

She handed him one. "Reservations at a villa for two weeks, rental car, etc."

He looked it over. Jason Morgan certainly didn't pinch his pennies... Patrick bit the inside of his cheek and then ground his teeth together... trying to get himself under control. Jason had included him in the tickets... the reservations... he wasn't trying to get between them.

Elizabeth read the paper over again, a small smile ghosting on her lips. "He said he wanted to treat us to a little vacation of our own..." she smiled, brighter, "and I think... if I'm readying this correctly he'll meet us there."

"I thought he's playing dead."

She nodded. "He is, that's why he doesn't say it outright, but I think that's what he means."

Patrick set the tickets down between them. "So, we're going to meet him in Italy."

Elizabeth heard the edge in his voice and paused. "Unless you don't... want to go."

He couldn't help the sudden flare of jealousy that reared up at the hopeful sound in her voice. How much of it was Italy and how much of it was Jason? "No, no..." he swallowed it all down like the bitter coffee from the breakroom, "Italy... it'll be a nice vacation." He looked at the tickets again. "Has Jason gone so far as to arrange for our vacation time from the hospital?"

Elizabeth set down the letter and turned toward Patrick. "If you'd rather not go, Patrick... we don't have to."

He saw the hope mixed with disappointment in her eyes and he couldn't... not after everything they'd been through.. everything she'd given him. He couldn't NOT let her have her dream. "Nope, let's just make sure we can get the time and then... we go."

Elizabeth pulled him in for a big hug and pressed a loud kiss on his cheek. "Italy! Oh thank you, Patrick!"

He enjoyed the spoils of her happiness and her giddy excitement, but it was only too clear that he wasn't the one that had made her happy... He held her tight and tried to fight down the fearful thoughts that crept into his head. He'd been with her but really how well did he know her? How could he say that he did if her deepest longings had never been something he'd inquired about...

The same thoughts echoed around in his head as he readied for bed that night. Tucked in beneath their blankets he listened as she hummed through every vaguely Italian song she knew... including stuff from "Lady and the Tramp."

And all the time he felt like a complete jerk... and hated himself more than Jason for it.

* * *

Patrick was beginning to relax. The entire time they'd been in Italy he'd felt like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But it hadn't.

The two of them had seen the sights... museums and art galleries (more than he could count)... and today, today had been a spur of the moment decision by Elizabeth. Today she wanted to paint.

Patrick couldn't say no... he didn't want to, but as soon as she'd gone down to the desk at their resort to inquire about a store for paint supplies... the desk clerk had explained to her that her supplies were waiting for her.

Yep, there it was... the other shoe. Patrick had barely managed to swallow down his breakfast as he'd watched Elizabeth run her hands over tubes of paint, and easel and several canvases. Again, he felt like a heel. He should have known what to do... he should have anticipated what she'd want to do... this was her greatest dream... right?

So later, as Elizabeth was lost in her own world, painting in the local square, he'd gone to get her some coffee and something to eat. It was the least he could do since he'd been unable to do anything else right. Patrick let out a breath and shook himself. He was over-reacting to this... to everything. Elizabeth was having the time of her life and he should be enjoying it with her.

His hands occupied with a drink tray and bag of pastries he headed back to the square, only to stop dead in his tracks at the cross street. There, across the way, half-hidden beneath some kind of trailing vine that only Elizabeth would know the name of, was Jason Morgan.

Who would have known there'd be yet another shoe...

* * *

Elizabeth held the canvas lightly in her fingers and she set it down on some newspapers so it wouldn't mark the table. She had barely finished the one canvas, claiming rusty skills and old fingers, but she couldn't have felt better. Today, sitting in the dappled sunlight of the square, breathing in the clean Italian air... she felt fantastic.

The only odd part of her day had been Patrick. He'd been on edge during the trip and she'd tried to help him have a good time, but the more she tried... the worse his mood became.

To door to their suite opened up and Patrick walked in, his sunglasses still covering his eyes. He set her easel down against the wall and stood there for a minute looking at it. "You can paint again tomorrow."

She smiled even though he couldn't see it. "Why do I get the feeling that's a fate worse than death for you?"

He turned toward her as if he'd been slapped. "It's not... really... it's not."

The edge in his tone was alien to her... and oddity in their regular ordered lives. "Patrick?" She waited for the hard line of his shoulders to soften. "What's wrong?"

He continued to breathe... that's the only thing she could see... as though he was a statue of some sort and had been rooted to the spot.

Elizabeth moved across the room and slid her arms around his middle until her cheek rested against his heart. He flinched, the subtle movement brought tears to her eyes. "Patrick? Please... what's going on?"

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, shuddering in her embrace as though he had suddenly taken a chill. "I'm sorry..."

The apology shocked her and she leaned back in his embrace, one hand reaching up to remove his sunglasses. The eyes that looked down at her were red-rimmed and glistening. "Please Patrick, tell me..."

"It's Jason."

"Ja-jason?" Elizabeth felt a knot form in her throat. "What happened?"

He heaved a sigh and settled his arms around her. "He was in the square today." He knew by her expression of shock that she hadn't seen him. "He was watching you paint."

The blush that stole across her cheeks sent a pain lancing through his middle. She couldn't help the reaction... just as much as he couldn't help the impotent anger welling up inside him.

"He was there?" Her voice held a hint of wonder... of a wish that she hadn't even made and yet was still delighted to see realized. "I didn't see him."

"He was standing beneath some of the vines on the far side of the square... he was there... for hours." And probably longer, since Patrick hadn't seen him at first. "Watching you."

"He didn't..." she looked up at him concerned for his feelings and the sweetness of her gesture nearly killed him, "he didn't mean anything by it."

"No," Patrick agreed, "he didn't." He lifted a hand and brushed his palm against the flush of her cheek. "He... he..." Patrick took a long moment to collect his thoughts before he continued. "It was the look in his eyes... I thought I'd seen it all in my time. They used to joke to Jason Morgan had icewater in his veins instead of blood. They way he could end a life was as simple and easy as breathing... and yet," he swept a stray lock of her hair back from her face, "the way he looked at you today... it was indescribable." And truly it was. Patrick could only try to explain the naked hunger he'd seen in Jason's eyes... the haunted look of need that seemed to seep into the air around him. "I watched him... watching you... and knew-"

"Patrick?" Elizabeth took his hand in hers it was ice cold, even in the warm air of their suite. "You're scaring me."

"I knew he loved you in a way I couldn't."

Elizabeth staggered back a bit. The pain in Patrick's voice was hard to bear. "What are you saying?"

"He loves you, honey... he loves you more than the air he breathes and it's written all over his face." He sighed. "You and I... when we married. We were friends-"

"Good friends... the best." Elizabeth was still trying to understand what was going. "And then,-"

"Then we fell in love. How could I do anything else?" Patrick's smile calmed her a little. "And we've been good to each other and we've loved those kids more than our own lives."

She nodded, tears gathering on her lashes. "Why do I get the feeling you're about to leave me, Patrick?"

"Leave?" He shook his head. "No, never." He sucked in a breath and barely stayed on his feet. "But I'm going to let you go."

Elizabeth swayed on her feet and Patrick stepped forward to take hold of her arm. "Why are you saying this?"

"Because," he gave her a ghost of a smile, "because you and Jason never had the chance to love each other the way you should... you never had a chance to make a life together. The two of you love each other so deep down inside your hearts that I... I just can't keep you away from him... I can't and call myself your friend." He leaned forward and brushed a kiss on her cheek. "And I hope that's what we'll always continue to be... friends."

She was shaken... down to the core. She couldn't seem to form a complete thought... or even a word in answer. She could only look up at him desperate for understanding.

"I'm going to go and get something to drink... and probably a few of them... down in the bar... or in 'a' bar of some kind. I just want you to think about this.. and you'll know I'm right." He looked down at her with everybit of his love for her showing in his eyes. "And you'll know I'm only doing this to make you happy... the way you should be happy."

Elizabeth stood there as he walked out the door and closed it behind him. She waited there until she could breathe again and then she collapsed and cried.

* * *

Jason stepped into the bar and looked around the room spotting Patrick even in the dark corner of the room. He had always had good night vision and this time it helped. Patrick only looked up when Jason stopped at the table. "You took your time, Morgan."

The slur of Patrick's words and the empty row of glasses before him on the table bore witness to how drunk the doctor was. "Your text was a little messed up."

"Huh," Patrick nodded, "good... then I made you work for it... and that's only the start."

Jason rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. "You want me to take you back to your room? You're in no condition to walk, Patrick, and I-"

"Will you just shut up?" Patrick hissed the words out as he picked up the next shot glass. "Tequila... the good stuff... Elizabeth... damn when she has a mind to she can put this stuff away and I love to watch her... especially when she sprinkles on the salt..." he laughed, his eyes watching Jason carefully, "you know... don't you... you know..."

"Know what, Patrick?"

"That you're an asshole, that's what," again Patrick winced... at his volume or his language even he didn't know. "You go and get all honorable on me... you get her the trip she's always wanted... that I didn't know about... and then you get her the damn paint supplies and then..." Patrick tossed back the shot and slammed it down on the table. "And then you stand there and look at her as if she'd hung the moon and the sun and the god-damn stars... you look at her and I feel like I'm just the stand-in... and don't even bother to apologize cause I'm not sorry." Patrick shook his head. "I've had a lot of good years with her and I've loved her the right way... the only way I could... and I've made her happy... and raised those boys... and she helped me raise Emma... and for that I will always... always love her... but now... now that you're only-sorta-kinda dead... maybe she can finally get a chance to be 'ecstatically' happy." He laughed, a harsh bark of noise. "I think... it's kind of like a little switch... I'm you... and you and Elizabeth... you're me and Robin."

Jason felt an echo of pain deep within his chest.

"Robin and I loved each other like air. We lived off of each other and when she died..." he picked up another shot and sloshed the liquid around in the glass, "when she died I wanted to crawl in the coffin beside her... but I had Emma..."

Jason sat down in an empty chair and listened.

"I had Emma and she needed me to love her and care for her and put one foot in front of the other. Elizabeth was that. She showed me that I could live and breathe again and I was so thankful to have her and I love those boys... both your boy and-"

"They're both mine."

Patrick nodded. "I loved them both... and we made a family, but today I saw you... and I knew just by the look in your eyes... that I wasn't what she needed now.

"The kids are grown and off to the next part of their lives. It's her turn to do something for herself. To live life the way she should." Patrick drank again. "Just like I would... if Robin was alive." Patrick set a shot glass in front of Jason and lifted one in salute. "Don't waste this opportunity, Jason... don't live your life standing there and watching her... prove to me that I've got this right... prove that you're the man I think you can be."

Jason downed the shot and stood. "You know... I would never have come between the two of you."

Patrick nodded. "I know... for someone with a hair trigger you do have some set of morals on you..."

He watched Jason Morgan leave the bar and raised his hand for another bottle.

*there will be an epilogue*


	21. Epilogue

So sorry for the delay on this... There were a few folks that had taken all the fun out of it... and yet, I know there were some waiting for this... so I'm so very sorry for the wait. Here is the end of the story...

* * *

Epilogue

Elizabeth had been pleasantly surprised by a number of things in her life... her latest happy realization was that yachts don't make her seasick. The launch out to Nicholas's island was too short a trip to elicit much from her stomach, and the boat she'd been on when Lisa Niles had thrown her overboard hadn't been bad... but after that... she'd had a horrible time with boats.

Walking along the railing of the Seawind she trailed her hand along the cool metal and smiled. Yachts this big didn't have stabilizers for nothing... and all of her nightmares about Lisa Niles had faded the first time Jason had taken her into his arms and kissed her senseless with the sea air sweeping past them - a moment after he'd told her that he'd bought it for her... for them.

They'd spent the last four years together moving from one place to another, seeing the world side by side, and yet they always went back to the U.S. That was, after all, where their family was. Now as the galley door opened behind her, Elizabeth kept her eyes focused on the coast line up ahead. She leaned into Jason's embrace as he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her temple and leaned against the rail. "You forgot your jacket inside."

She snuggled back against him. "It's not that cold." He shook his head and she felt the movement rather than saw it as she covered his hands with hers. "Besides, you do a good job of keeping me warm."

The two shared a smile. He'd done a valiant job just the night before pressed up against her back in their bed he's used his hand to 'warm' her until she'd turned around in his arms to warm him right back. Later, when she'd fallen back asleep he'd drawn a blanket around them both and marveled at the woman he held in his arms.

Her voice, softly speaking in the chill of the air about them, brought him back to the present. "What did Joseph say?"

Jason spared a glance up at the bridge and then he turned his gaze toward the coast. "Just a few more minutes. Anxious?"

She shook her head. "No, I spoke to Cam this morning on the satellite phone and he's already in town and," she gave him a look over her shoulder, "he's got someone he wants us to meet."

The significant tone of her voice made Jason smile. "Do you know who it is?"

She shrugged, but he heard her giggle even with the wind in his ears. "He's mentioned a girl a few times... I just wonder what they're going to tell us."

"What about Jake... and Emma?"

Elizabeth turned a bit in his embrace and looked up at him, cold blooming color in her cheeks. "I think Emma's met her before and apparently, according to my dear sweet girl, the two of them got 'into it' about Cam."

Jason smiled, imagining her feisty daughter riled up. "She does realize he's her 'older brother.'"

Her pointed look made Jason smile. "You do realize that doesn't matter. A little sister can be VERY protective of her brother."

"Okay.. okay," Jason agreed, trying to smooth her ruffled feathers.

"And Jake," Elizabeth reached up a hand to touch Jason's cheek, "he's giving his brother a horrible time... the teasing, or so Cam tells me, goes to ridiculous lengths."

The yacht docked without any problems and the moment the crew tied the boat to its moorings and secured the gangplank they had a full house. Cam playfully elbowed his brother and waited for him to go up first with Emma. The two almost-graduates found themselves nearly squeezed into unconsciousness by their mother and their cheeks covered with kisses. Jason stepped in next with a warm hug for Emma but when he turned to his son he stared down into his own blue eyes and smiled.

"Hey, Dad." Jake's grin was both sweet and irrepressible at the same time. "Nice to see your little 'boat.'" He looked at him mom with a wink and back to Jason. "When you said you'd bought a boat, I was thinking those little houseboat things... but then again-"

"Then again," Emma cut in, "this is Jason's boat and seriously, brother, you just don't get how Jason talks about stuff."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Listen to her... I'm sure she'll be tutoring me in all things Jason next week, a three class course complete with worksheets and powerpoint graphics."

Emma huffed at him over her crossed arms.

Turning back to Jason, Jake wrapped his arms around his father and they shared a close embrace. Elizabeth felt her own eyes prickle with tears as she watched the two of them. It never failed to amaze her how close they'd become even with thousands of miles between them.

By this point Cam had made his way on board and taken his mother in a hug and almost lifted her off her feet. "You look beautiful, Mom."

"And you," she wiped at an invisible lipstick stain on his cheek, "are still a very handsome youn- handsome man." She swiped at her eyes as the truth of her words nearly stole her breath away. "I thought you were bringing someone?" She looked around him at the pier and then back at his face. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head and looped his arm over her shoulders and drew her close. "There's plenty of time tomorrow... today... it's just for family."

Jason stepped up to Cam with his hand out and instead of shaking it, Cam gave him a hug. When they separated a moment later, Cam gave him a grin. "Good to see you."

Nodding his agreement, Jason grinned at Elizabeth's older boy. "Stan sent me the current numbers on the shop. You're doing well." Jason looked at Elizabeth and continued. "Very well."

Cam's expression turned serious for a moment. "I owe it to you, Jason... I owe you my life."

"And you're repaying me the right way, Cam," Jason cleared his throat to open up the knot that had formed there, "you're staying right where you should be... away from the 'business.'"

A steward appeared and Elizabeth gave him a smile. "Kids," all three of them groaned at her, "Brian will show you where your rooms are and the living and dining areas. We'll see you on deck in a little bit."

The three filed after the steward, making enough noise to reach Atlantis, if it still existed.

A car pulled up to the pier and Elizabeth leaned on the railing, narrowing her eyes to see the man stepping out into the sunshine. With a smile and happy laugh she met him halfway up the gangway and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug that he returned. Together they walked up to the deck and Patrick and Jason shook hands. Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two of them and relaxed.

One of the crew called over to Jason and he followed the crewman toward the bridge, leaving Elizabeth and Patrick together on deck.

She looked up at Patrick and smiled. "You look good."

His grin was broad and the graying hair at his temples certainly gave him a rakish air. "I feel good."

She smoothed the lapel of his suit with her palm. "It's one thing to talk to you on the phone, I like this version better."

Patrick drew her in for another hug, leaning his head down to take in the scent of her hair. "Me too."

When she leaned back in his relaxed embrace she looked up into his eyes searching them for the truth.

"You know," he started with a grin, "you can ask me the question and I promise to give you an answer."

"You'll give me an answer," she arched a look at her former husband, "but I'm not sure if it will be the truth."

His expression was pure shock. "You don't believe me?"

"You are not only a world famous surgeon, Patrick... you should have been a diplomat. You would tell me what you thought I wanted to hear."

The laughter in his eyes stilled and he gently swept a hand from her shoulder down to her wrist before lacing their fingers together. "I loved you... I still do..." he smiled slightly, "as a friend."

She nodded. "I love you, too."

"But we're both happier like this..." he looked around at the boat, "you on your floating palace and me in a hospital, working my way through the pretty nurses." He gasped in mock pain when she cuffed him on his upper arm. "Hey!"

"Careful... you'll have a harassment suit on your hands if you're not careful."

He shrugged. "I don't go where I'm not wanted... you know that." He smiled and smoothed back a lock of her hair that whipped forward with the wind. "You kept me in line so long... I have to get used to watching out for myself." He looked past her shoulder and gave a nod. "Like right now, I'm backing away so I won't give your husband reason to toss me into the harbor." With a quick kiss to her temple he crossed to meet Jason. "If I ever hear that you've made her sad... or upset... or if she gets a splinter..." Patrick's ominous warning lost its strength when all three of them started laughing together, "I'm going to find you and..."

"And?" Jason's amusement was as obvious as his curiosity.

"And... I'll hold you down while she kicks you in the-"

"Patrick!" Elizabeth pushed him gently toward the cabin and shook her head as he went willingly, his hands held up in surrender. A moment later she felt Jason's strong arms tug her closer and into his embrace. She leaned her cheek against the wall of his chest, listening to the strong heartbeat beneath her ear.

"Thank you." Jason's voice rumbled through his chest.

She leaned back and looked up into his face. "For what?"

He would have told her a thousand things in that moment. A thank you for every look and kiss... every smile and soft word... but none of it would really explain his meaning. Instead, he gently held her face between his hands and kissed her.


End file.
